St Timothy Presbyterian Church in Toronto: Sermons

Scripture Passage 1 Kings 2:10-12, 3:3-14 Worship Video Worship Audio Be WiseRev. Dave Leeshare Social: jQuery(document).ready(function($) { $('#facebook-player-share-42327').sharrre({ share: { facebook: true }, urlCurl: 'https://timothypc.com/wp-content/mu-plugins/rainmaker/library/external/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php', enableHover: false, enableTracking: true, disableCount: true, buttons: { }, click: function(api, options){ api.simulateClick(); api.openPopup('facebook'); } }); $('#googleplus-player-share-42327').sharrre({ share: { googlePlus: true }, urlCurl: 'https://timothypc.com/wp-content/mu-plugins/rainmaker/library/external/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php', enableHover: false, enableTracking: true, buttons: { }, click: function(api, options){ api.simulateClick(); api.openPopup('googlePlus'); } }); $('#linkedin-player-share-42327').sharrre({ share: { linkedin: true }, urlCurl: 'https://timothypc.com/wp-content/mu-plugins/rainmaker/library/external/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php', enableHover: false, enableTracking: true, buttons: { }, click: function(api, options){ api.simulateClick(); api.openPopup('linkedin'); } }); $('#twitter-player-share-42327').sharrre({ share: { twitter: true }, urlCurl: 'https://timothypc.com/wp-content/mu-plugins/rainmaker/library/external/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php', enableHover: false, enableTracking: true, buttons: { }, click: function(api, options){ api.simulateClick(); api.openPopup('twitter'); } }); }); Link: Embed: https://timothypc.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/bewise.mp3 Download Audio Subscribe Sermon Script It is difficult for us to recognize that we just do not know. I'm not talking about not knowing some kind of information. I'm referring to not knowing what we should do or where we should go. Rather than saying I don't know, we want to say I know . We want to feel like we've got all the answers. We want to seem like we are all put together and sure of what we are doing and where we are going. If we do say that we don't know, it is usually to avoid talking about the issue altogether. No amount of books we read, the advice we receive, or the planning we do can drive out the unease of not knowing. It never goes away, no matter what life stage we are in. I know that many of our students struggle with that. The same goes for our university, college graduates. We also have those who are navigating the challenges of being first-time parents, or left with an empty nest. There are some that are either in or preparing for their retirement. And the last thing we want is to acknowledge that we are lost. If not to others, then at least to ourselves. In today's passage, we see that Solomon was in a similar situation. He was the son of David the greatest king of Israel. He was set to follow in his father's footsteps after he passed. Imagine the pressure and the anxiety. He had enormous shoes to fill. This was what he said about himself And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. (1 Kings 3:7) Solomon described himself as a little child'. He wasn't being literal. He was young at the time. But he was not a child. Yet he compared himself to a little child who doesn't know what he should do or where he should go. In a time of loneliness, confusion and vulnerability, Solomon did not hide. Instead, he was honest and transparent before God. He simply acknowledged that he was lost, anxious and afraid. I don't know where to start. I don't know who to trust. Solomon saw that he needed wisdom. So, this was what he asked from God Give your servant, therefore, an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil, for who can govern this great people of yours? (1 Kings 3:9) Here, mind' can also be understood as the heart'. The very centre of a human being. The word understanding' also means listening'. In that sense, Solomon wasn't asking for stronger rational and intellectual capabilities. He was asking for the ability to listen. To listen and seek God's will in every situation. Solomon sought what was spiritual. Being wise doesn't mean knowing' more. In this day and age, we know more than we have ever before. Being wise has to do with understanding that we do not know all there is to know and that is okay. Wendell Berry, the American writer, said It may be that when we no longer know what to do,we have come to our real workand when we no longer know which way to go,we have begun our real journey. We don't need to feel ashamed that we don't know everything. Why should we? We are only human. We are only a little child in need of guidance and care. The more we try to pretend otherwise, the more we will be unable to see what we need to see and hear what we need to hear. We will remain trapped in our small world. We will never be able to see beyond ourselves. Our

Scripture Passage Ephesians 4:25-5:2 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script St. Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians, Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children (Ephesians 5:1) Be imitators of God. What does this mean? We often think of imitation as copying or mimicking someone. But when Paul says be imitators, he means more than that. It concerns not just our behaviour, but our entire existence. Being imitators of God means to REFLECT THE IMAGE OF GOD that is within us. It has to do with living the way we were made to live. We are made in the image of God, who is love. John said that clearly Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. (1 John 4:8) We are made to love and to live in love. That, I believe, is the essence of Christian anthropology. It is our basic and fundamental disposition. Love is what we experience when we first enter this world. As children, we freely receive and give love to others. Yet somehow as we get older, we seem to lose that capacity to love. The disappointments and hurts we experience along the way harden our hearts. We close up, withdraw, and become selective about to whom we will show our love. We constantly hold back even though we know very well that when we love, that is when we are most alive. We know how to be nice', but not love. In other words, we learn to BURY the image of God within us. Last week, Rev. Simon briefly shared about the youths in Sioux Valley. The children are very receptive and responsive to love. The youths not as much. They are more closed off, guarded, and evasive. It takes more time and effort to get past the hard exterior. Some of our young people had a difficult time with that. On the final day, as a wrap-up activity, our counsellors had the youths do the warm-and-fuzzy's together. Even to get all of them to sit at a table was a challenge. It was clear that some of them didn't like the others. You saw the resentment in their eyes. We told them to write a positive note of affirmation and encouragement to each other. Thankfully, all of them did it without a complaint. Some couldn't even wait to look inside the bag. After we finished, I asked the youths why we did something like this. One of them said, to be nice and kind? I said, That's good. Then I shared what I'm reflecting with you today. That we are all made in the image of God. That means, we are all perfectly capable of showing our love and care to one another. But we can only do that as long as we learn to let go and not hold back that part of ourselves from others. The notes we wrote to each other were visible reminders of that. I encouraged them to do that for each other even after the camp. To be honest, I didn't plan on saying that. I just felt moved in that moment to share it with them. I felt God laid that message upon my heart. Because at the end of the day, what does it all come down to? What ultimately counts in the end? It is love. Without love, life becomes cold and unbearable. There are no second chances. Community becomes divided and broken. There is no possibility of meaningful change. When love is absent, everything falls apart. Yet, the irony is that we often resist this kind of message. Conceptually, we know it matters, but we remain skeptical. We think to uphold love like that is too idealistic. We conclude by saying it is just too difficult to love people. They are too stubborn, contradictory, and unpredictable. What is the alternative, then? Hate? Indifference? Even indifference is a form of hate. What would be the implications of living such a life? My friends, the message of love embedded in our gospel is not meant for only certain people of a specific community. It is a message for all of us. We all need to reclaim the image of God and be imitators of God in our own life. That is what Jesus came to do. He came to restore the image of God within us through his love. He showed concretely what it means to love others. Love is being completely for the other person. For our sake, he went all the way to the cross. Through his death and resurrection, he tore down the HOSTILITY that divided us with God, and with each other. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us, abolishing the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. (Ephesians 2:14-16) Because of Christ, we are now free to love as he loved us. That means we are now able to CHOOSE. We are no longer ruled by the power of hostility. We are given the power to love. That is why right after calling us to be imitators of God, St. Paul said and walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:2) Much of today's passage may sound like a list of moral

Scripture Passage 2 Corinthians 5:17 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script The essence of the gospel is about change. Once I am in Christ, I am a new creation. The old has passed, the new has come. The person I am today is not the person I will be tomorrow. That is good news. In Christ, there is always the possibility of a new beginning. But many times, that change is not easy. We just came back from Sioux Valley yesterday. Thank you for your prayers and support. Sioux Valley is located in the southwest area of Manitoba. This year, seven members from London Korean Christian Church joined our team of twenty-seven, to make a total of thirty-four people. It was the second trip there for our church members. Joon Song and Sarah Park from the KSM went for many years, from 2002 to 2015 with their old church. Last year, we went for the first time. We had a great experience last year. We formed great bonds. But a whole year had passed. We weren't sure what it was going to be like this year. Would they remember us? This year, no one knew we were coming. So as soon as we arrived on Monday, we unpacked, had dinner, and immediately went out to knock door to door. When people opened the door, we introduced ourselves as the Koreans from Toronto, and that we were back. We were pleasantly surprised to see that many people remembered us! Their faces relaxed and they became friendly. Tuesday was our first day of programming. Over 100 people showed up – from kids all the way to adults. The seeds of love we planted last year bore some fruits of change. We recognized many of the kids – they had grown up so much! Things were off to a great start. But then we received some bad news: the main hall that we were using had to be vacated for a funeral on Thursday. So that meant we had to leave the hall by 3pm the following day, Wednesday. They asked us where we would stay. We were shocked! We said we don't have any other place to stay. They felt really bad and offered us a smaller space at their community center. But we had to move everything over to the community centre and the church, because the community center wasn't large enough by itself. Our kitchen team had to pack all the kitchen stuff and food. Our drivers and team members had to transport everything to the community center and the church. The kids and youth had their program in the hot non-air conditioned church on Wednesday. On Thursday they had to go outside to the park all afternoon where it was so hot. Meanwhile, everyone else had to re-pack everything to go back to the hall. It was very tiring. Some of our young people became sick. It seemed like a message from God saying that change doesn't come easily. The path to real change is never easy or smooth. Our challenges were so small compared to the challenges that people in Sioux Valley face. Everyday seems to bring new challenges for them. The very first day we were there, one of our close friends from Sioux Valley shared how her nephew just died last week from a car accident. He was a respected teacher at the Sioux Valley school. He knew the history and traditions of his people. And now they lost a respected role model for the youth. Our worship service that day became a space of mourning for her and she broke down during our prayer time. One of the boys who came was found to have lice in his hair. For the sake of the other children and our mission team members, I had to send him home. I felt so bad, because he had been having such a good time. He was playing and smiling. When I broke the news to him, I was expecting disappointment. But instead, all he said was ok with no reaction. That surprised me. He was around the same age as Joonie. If I had to send Joonie home when he was having the time of his life, he would have protested and been very upset. But this boy expressed no such thing. It made me wonder what he had gone through to have no expectation. It's almost like he expected nothing of life. At such a young age, he had faced one disappointment after another, to the point where he no longer expected anything of life. Another young man I met last year had a powerful spiritual experience last year. The message and prayers really hit him. I was very happy to see him again, and he joined our worship service. During that service, I got to speak with him at length. He too is going through so many struggles and challenges. He's trying to keep things together in his family. He's been one of the few to be on the straight and narrow path. He said that all of his peers his age succumbed to drug addictions or suicides, that not many were left. These are only a few stories. In our surroundings, these stories would be wild exceptions. But I'm not exaggerating in saying that these stories are everyone's stories in the community. It's not a large community – there are around 1400 people living on the reserve, and another 1400 who live outside of the reserve. And for those who live on or off the reserve, these stories run thr

Scripture Passage John 5:1-9 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script The Hebrew word Bethzatha means House of Mercy . Many ill, blind, lame and paralyzed people gathered around the pool called Bethzatha hoping to receive mercy. The pool was inside the Sheep Gate. The Sheep Gate and the pool inside it remind me of Psalm 23. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. (Psalm 23:1-3) Inside the Sheep Gate, they wanted to be healed. They wanted to be restored. They wanted mercy. But the pool was anything but a place of mercy. This is what the man said when Jesus approached him: Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am making my way someone else steps down ahead of me. (John 5:8) There was no one to help him. Everyone was looking after themselves. A place meant for healing became a place without mercy. People believed that when the water in the pool was stirred up, they would be healed if they went into it. So all sorts of people gathered by the pool, waiting for it to be stirred up. Getting into that pool became the goal, the thing people chased after. What is the stirred water for you? What do you think will make you well? What's missing in your life that will make it better? Is it good health? Is it money? Is it popularity and the praise of others? Will these things truly make you well? All of these things might help. They definitely make life easier. But can they restore your soul and make you well? We put so much effort into these things. We chase our own version of the stirred water. Obtaining your stirred water doesn't make you a bad person. The problem is that your blind pursuit of it contributes to a merciless world. This is the problem that the ill man in this passage faced. Anytime the water stirred up, there was a stampede. Everyone was fixated on getting into that stirred water. Only the fittest and fastest could get in. The ill man was left behind as everyone else rushed to get in. The ill man shared everyone's belief that he could get well only by getting into the pool. But because he couldn't get into the pool, he met Jesus. If he was able to get in, he would not have met Jesus. That is such wonderful grace! Jesus saw the man. Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time (John 5:6) Until this time, no one even really saw him. He was just part of the background. Jesus saw him and made him well with the power of his words: stand up, pick up your mat and walk! Jesus restored mercy by the pool of Bethzatha. Our sin is not indifference. Our sin is chasing after the stirred water. That chase makes us blind to the need of others. Indifference is the result. Our sin is making the stirred water an idol. A replacement and substitute for God. Idolatry was the first commandment that God gave to the Israelites. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above or that is on the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God. (Exodus 20:3-5) We've made the blind pursuit of stirred water our idol. The stirred water is the thing you believe will make you better. But like the stirred water for the ill man, it is elusive and out of your grasp. There's always more money to be made. Better health to achieve. More approval or acceptance to gain. That pursuit makes this world a less merciful place. It leaves no room for the needs of others. There's no time to stop and help the person in need. Jesus went to Jerusalem for a festival. He could have gone anywhere in Jerusalem. He could have attended some nice exhibits. Enjoyed time with friends and family. But he chose to go to the Sheep Gate. The Sheep Gate was a wretched place. It was not a happy place. It's a place people wanted to leave as soon as they could. But he chose to go to that most wretched place. And there, he approached the man who was always left behind. He went to the least among the least. In that most wretched place, the least among them experienced mercy. In that most wretched place, grace and truth were present in Jesus. My friends, when you're in that most wretched place, don't chase the stirring water. Don't create false idols. Seek Jesus. Hear him knocking at your door. Hear his voice asking if you want to be made well. Receive the grace and healing that only Jesus can give. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Our souls are made well only in him. As I was preparing this sermon, I realized that it is exactly five years since I got ordained as a minister. Five years. They've flown by. We had a wonderful ordination of Rev. Dave just last month. I still remember mine. It was one of the happiest days of my life. It was such a joy because I was able to be ordained in this church. I am so thankful for this

Scripture Passage Psalm 23 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Psalm 23 is one of the most beloved psalms of all psalms. It is the most quoted and memorized OT Scripture. Many people wrote songs about this psalm. Whenever we hear this psalm, we feel good. I feel good because it tells me that I am not alone. I read this Psalm at the burial service. To die means to be alone. The body will be buried and people all leave the site. But we are not alone even in our death. I have a shepherd. The shepherd is always with me. I am like a sheep. Many times, I feel lost. I don't know what to do and I don't know where to go. Sometimes, we feel all alone. Especially, when we go through suffering, we feel all alone. But God is my shepherd. He tells me that I am not alone. He tells me that he is with me. That was what God told Isaiah. Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God;I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. (Isaiah 41:10) What was Jesus' last word while he was on earth? It is the last verse of the gospel of Matthew. I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20) Psalm 23 is the psalm King David wrote. He himself was the shepherd when he was a boy. He knew what to do to take care of the sheep. He knew very well that the sheep would not be able to survive without him, the shepherd. The shepherd was very important in the life of sheep. The shepherd did so much for the sheep. David knew that very well. Finding green pastures was not easy. Near home, sheep already ate all the grass. So, they had to travel many days to find green pastures. That was not an easy journey. They carried big knives so that they can make paths by cutting weeds so that sheep could pass through. They had to protect sheep from wild animals; snakes in the field, lions, and wolves. Sometimes they had to fight with them, risking their lives. David knew exactly what shepherds had to do to take care of the sheep. Then he realized that his God was his shepherd. When he thought about God, that image came to him very strongly. The Lord is my shepherd. (Psalm 23:1) Then he said, I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1) I don't need anything else. I don't lack anything. All I need is God being my shepherd. That was David's experience. That was his confession. Sheep did not need to create a path. Sheep did not need to find green pastures. Sheep did not protect themselves from wild animals. It is the shepherd who creates a path. It is the shepherd who finds green pastures. It is the shepherd who protects the sheep from wild animals. David's life was not easy. Nothing came to him easily. Life did not come to him on a silver platter. He had to fight about everything. When Samuel was looking for a king, he came to Jesse's house. Because God told him to go there. He asked Jesse: Bring your sons to me. But Jesse, David's father, did not even show David to Samuel. He even sent him away to take care of the sheep while his brothers had an important meeting with the prophet Samuel. Because he didn't consider David as an important person. He didn't think of him as a king material. His father did not even recognize his existence. Samuel had to probe into the father to see whether there was another son. David was so good to king Saul but Saul constantly persecuted David because Saul was jealous and was threatened by David. He even tried to kill him. So David had to live as a fugitive in another country. But in all of his life experiences, he firmly believed that he was not alone. God was with him as his shepherd. He believed; God would guide his life. God would protect him from enemies. God would provide him with his goodness. We can see this very clearly in this psalm. He makes me lie down in green pastures;he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.He leads me in right paths for his name's sake. (Psalm 23:2, 3) You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. (Psalm 23:5) Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, (Psalm 23:6) Even when he fought Goliath, he was confident because he believed that God was his shepherd and he would be with him. When he tried to get permission to fight Goliath from Saul, he shared his experiences when he was a shepherd. But David said to Saul, Your servant used to keep sheep for his father; and whenever a lion or a bear came, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after it and struck it down, rescuing the lamb from its mouth; and if it turned against me, I would catch it by the jaw, strike it down, and kill it. Your servant has killed both lions and bears; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.' (1 Samuel 17:34-36) He related his confidence to his experience of being a shepherd. He learned this confidence by having been a shepherd. Like David saved his sheep from a lion and a bear, God will save Israel from this ungodly man. His image of G

Scripture Passage Mark 6:14-29 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script What is a good life? What is the kind of life that's worth living? I think that a good life is to do what is right in every situation. To be driven by an inner sense of truth and what is good. Rather than by what is advantageous or beneficial for me. I think a good life is to seek the good of others in every situation. Not just my own benefit and advantage. These things are all part of being a disciple of Jesus. In that sense, being a disciple of Jesus is the most beautiful life. It is a life that bears fruit. It makes a difference in the lives of others. It seeks to do what's right and just. Discipleship is about making room for God and others. This is what Jesus said about discipleship: If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. (Mark 8:34) Denying yourself is to remove yourself from the centre. Following Jesus is to live like he did. Serving others. Putting the needs of others above his own. Even accepting the rejection and suffering that may come from such a life. Jesus also said this: For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. (Mark 8:35) If you lose yourself for the sake of Christ and others, you will find yourself. That is the true secret of discipleship. But that's not an easy journey. It doesn't come naturally. The most natural thing is to put yourself at the center. And to seek what's most advantageous for you in each situation. Discipleship is the journey of change to become more and more like Jesus, who was able to put others before himself and do what's right in every situation. Today's story of Herod is a warning about the pitfalls to discipleship. Herod arrested John because his criticism threatened Herod's power. But a strange thing happened: his wife hated John and wanted to kill him, but Herod became drawn to him. He protected John. Somehow, the words of John spoke to him. When he (Herod) heard him (John), he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him. (Mark 6:20) The words of John challenged Herod. They made him pause and examine himself. They were difficult words, but he liked listening to him. It was like his soul began to experience some healing. But Herod lived in the world of power and politics. His attention was divided. The birthday banquet he put on was not merely a happy birthday celebration. It was a political power play. He invited all the powerful people who helped keep him in power. The party was to secure his standing and power. It was to show that he was in charge. His own self-indulgence and hubris led him to make the impulsive declaration to grant any wish to his daughter. She requested John's head. Herod was deeply grieved by the request. You see the cruelty of the world he lived in. It was nothing to kill someone and bring their head. This was the world Herod lived in. Herod was didn't want to kill the person who was leading him to greater truth. But in this tense situation, his reputation and power were at stake. All eyes were on him when his daughter made the request. When it came to preserving his own power or the life of an innocent man, he did not hesitate. The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John's head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. (Mark 6:26-28) Cold and calculating self-preservation won out over truth and justice. It was no contest. Mark has an important warning for us about the life of discipleship. The greatest pitfall to discipleship is a divided heart. You may love God. You may desire to do the right thing. But when your heart is divided, the needs of the situation and your self-preservation take priority over your inner sense of what is right and just. The right thing to do was to save the life of an innocent and righteous man. But to preserve his power, the innocent man became expendable. Truth and righteousness were secondary. That's the world we live in right now. People react to the needs of the situation. Whatever is advantageous for them, they do, regardless of the effects it may have on others. All ideals and principles have gone out the window. People are not driven by what is right and just. There is no putting the needs of others above yourself. It's simply take care of me and my family, and let everyone else take care of themselves. This is not the kind of world I want to live in. It's not the world I want for my children. It's not the world I want them to continue. There has to be a better way to live. That better way was shown through the cross. Jesus lived the right way. He did not calculate. He loved and did the right thing to the very end, even at the cost of his life. What might have been different

Scripture Passage Mark 6:1-13 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script We think we know – that is the problem. We think we see – that is the problem. Jesus saw that as the problem, If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, We see , your sin remains. (John 9:41) We think we see – that makes us blind. We think we know – that makes us ignorant. The moment you think you know, your knowledge stops. Why? Because your limited knowledge stops the process of attaining the fuller understanding. You think you already know. Why would you explore further? That was what the people in Nazareth did. Jesus came back to his home town. You see. Jesus was born in Nazareth but he did a lot of his ministry in Capernaum, which was about 50 Km away from Nazareth. It was the hometown of Matthew, Simon Peter, and his brother, Andrew, John, and James, sons of Zebedee. Now he came back home and preached in a synagogue. People of Nazareth heard him and they were amazed. I think they were shocked by his wisdom and the way he taught. He had authority in his teaching. Not just in his tone but Jesus knew what he was talking about. That was the same response he got when he taught in Capernaum. They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. (Mark 1:21, 22) That was the kind of response he got in Nazareth too. They responded in this way. Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! (Mark 6:2) They were shocked and were very impressed. But the reaction was different in Nazareth. Jesus became famous in Capernaum but not in Nazareth. This was what happened in Nazareth. Immediately after they spoke about their amazement, they said this. Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?' And they took offence at him. (Mark 6:3) They took offence at him. Their prejudice was kicked in and controlled their thinking. They thought they knew Jesus. Did they really know him? Was their knowledge of Jesus correct or complete? Would they have known that this Jesus they thought they knew would be a person the whole world, not just Galileans, will know for next 2,000 years? Would they have known that this Jesus they thought they knew would influence billions of people in the world and shape the way they think about life? The moment they thought they knew Jesus, their knowledge about Jesus stopped. Because it stayed at their limited understanding. From that point on, their prejudice controlled and guided their thinking. Not true knowledge of Jesus. They stopped learning and understanding who Jesus was. They were entrapped in their own prejudice. Their understanding of Jesus was so limited and so wrong and yet they held unto it as though it was the truth. They even took offence at Jesus. So Jesus could not do many miracles in his hometown. That's sad. Their prejudice hindered the power of God being released. This was how Mark described the situation, And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. (Mark 6:5) It was not that Jesus did not have the power. It was because their prejudice blinded them and entrapped them, and so, the power of God could not work in them. Their knowledge stopped. Their understanding stopped. Their faith stopped. That is not how faith works. Faith is not memorizing doctrines you already know and regurgitate it constantly. Faith is not about strongly holding unto whatever is acceptable, comfortable to you, and verifiable. That was the kind of faith Paul had before he met Christ. His faith was about holding unto the law and keeping the law, and protecting the law. Through his faith, he even tried to protect God. That's why he arrested and killed Christians. Because he believed that they were destroying God. Christians were not destroying God. They destroyed Paul's prejudice. That was what he was scared. Paul was not protecting God. He was protecting his own prejudice. He didn't realize that faith was not about holding unto right statements, right doctrines, and right theories but it was about the power that releases God's grace. He didn't realize that. Only after meeting Christ, he saw that. Only after his prejudices were shattered, he was able to see what he could not see before. Only after something like a scale fell off from his eyes, he could see what he was supposed to see. His experience on the road to Damascus was nothing but his prejudice being demolished. After the Damascus experience, Paul realized that faith has the power to defeat the power of darkness. It has the power to forgive sins. It has the power to heal the broken hearted. It has the power to raise the dead. When you have faith, your understanding does not stop. Your understandin

Scripture Passage 2 Corinthians 8:7-15 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script I thank God for everything that I have. All I have comes from God. Good health, good food, good family, good church, and good life – they all come from God. In that sense, I will say life is a gift. I see life as a gift. Jesus gave us a very interesting story. Through this story, he makes a very important point. There was an owner of a vineyard. Early in the morning he went out and saw people not working. He told them to come to his vineyard and work. And at noon, he went out again and found some people again. He told them to come and work. Even one hour before, he went out and there were still people who didn't have work. So he called them to come to his vineyard and work. At the end of the day, he paid them, starting from people who came one hour before. Surprisingly, he gave them one denarion, which was one day's full wage. They worked only one hour. Later, he paid the people who came early in the morning and paid the same one denarion, which was the full wage. People who came in the morning were upset. I understand why they were upset. I would be upset too. But one thing was clear. For people who came one hour before, one denarion was the gift. They went home recognizing that life is a gift. How do you see your life? Do you see it as a gift? If you are able to see your life as a gift, that's wonderful. Not many people do that. It is not easy to see life as a gift. The abundance we enjoy is a gift. It is a gift of grace. St. Paul said in the next chapter. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8) Don't turn gifts into possessions. There is a difference between gifts and possessions. If it is a gift, you share it with others. If it is a possession, you own it. You keep it to yourself. We don't own anything. Everything flows from God. And returns to God. Life we have in this world is God's gift. When that life is over, it returns to God. We don't own life. The life we enjoy is God's gift. Let me read 2 Corinthians 9:8 again. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8) You may share abundantly in every good work. That is the conclusion. When you consider life as a gift, that's what you do. You share it with others. You share your talents. You share your money. You share your time. That is what St. Paul said in the beginning of today's passage. Now as you excel in everything in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking. (2 Corinthians 8:7) Corinthian church was a rich church. Compared to the church in Philippi, they were quite well off. But they were not as generous as the church in Philippi. Northern part is Macedonia. And the southern part is Achaia. The church in Philippi belonged to Macedonia and the church in Corinth belonged to Achaia. Achaia was much more affluent than Macedonia. But it was the church in Philippi which was much more generous. People in Philippi understood the truth that life is a gift. People in Corinth did not yet understand this truth. So St. Paul had to teach them about generous giving. People in Corinth consider themselves spiritual, faithful, and wise. But they didn't yet know how to share. Read verse 7 again. You see that kind of tone in Paul's message. Now as you excel in everything in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking. (2 Corinthians 8:7) They thought they had good faith, and good knowledge of God. They thought they were good Christians and yet they didn't know the secret of seeing their life as a gift. So they didn't know how to share. Even spiritual gifts – they consider them as possessions rather than as gifts. When you read Paul's first letter to them, he mentioned the problem in the Corinthian church. They were fighting with each other for the gifts they had. They were fighting about whose gift is greater. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? (1 Corinthians 12:29, 30) They were divided by the spiritual gifts they had. They turned the gifts of the Spirit into their personal possessions. They were fighting with each other about who is greater. Whose gift is greater. That's why St. Paul said, To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. (1 Corinthians 12:7) There are just different gifts. They are not your personal possessions. God gives you gifts for the common good. So, St. Paul said at the end of chapter 12 of 1 Corinthians, But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent w

Scripture Passage Mark 4:35-41 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Life is not in your control. That is the basic truth in life. Jesus led the disciples into the boat to cross over to the other side. But a great storm came upon them. Our life is like that. We need to get into the boat to get to the other side. But storms can come at any moment. You cannot control when they come, or whether they come. Storms are powerful forces. They can be overwhelming. You are so small compared to the big storm. You are helpless in it. You can only try to withstand it and come out of it alive. Storms create havoc and difficulty. But most of the time, they come and go. If you can withstand that storm, it will pass and calm will come. Storms are powerful, but most of the time, they're temporary. Storms may come and go, but their effects can remain. The real power of the storm is the fear it leaves in your heart. That's the issue Jesus focuses on when he asks this question: Why are you afraid? (Mark 4:40) At the retreat, I shared the story of my year at the small law firm. It was the year from hell. Being yelled at by my boss on a regular basis. Being chained to the desk 12 hours a day. After I quit that job, I started my criminal law practice. I rented an office in the basement of a law chambers. My landlord was a lawyer. When he walked by my office, I would tense up and get stressed out. He was not my boss. I was paying HIM rent. I was no longer at my old job. But the effects of that stormy year were still with me. The greatest power of storms is the fear it leaves in your heart. Storms are powerful. The storm overpowered the disciples. But Jesus had even greater power. That's what Mark wants to show. Jesus had power to still the storm. Often, our circumstances themselves become the storm. Financial difficulty becomes the storm. Bad health. A difficult and strained relationship. These storms make us anxious, fearful and overwhelmed. But Jesus is more powerful than those storms. Jesus doesn't necessarily take those circumstances away. But he nullifies the power of these storms. He makes it so that those circumstances are no longer a storm. Those same circumstances may exist, but they're no longer a storm. It is calm water. How amazing that is! That is the power of Jesus. Maybe financial difficulties are still there. Maybe you're still in poor health. But they are no longer storms. They no longer have power to strike fear in your heart. You can live with it. It no longer overpowers you or strikes fear in your heart. You can face it with great calmness. When you have no more fear, you're free. That's when you can really live your life. You can live your life the way you're supposed to. Be driven by bigger purpose and dreams. Let love and passion drive you. Living without fear is the best life to live. A life connected with Christ is a powerful life that's free from fear. You have the power of Christ that stills storms. The storms become calm and have no more effect on you. What a gift! What a treasure. That is what St. Paul discovered in Christ. That is why knowing Christ became the most precious to him: I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him… I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:8, 10) To know Christ is to know his power. Faith is trust in the power of Christ. That faith gives you peace. With that faith, you can withstand the storms of life and not become fearful. This is why faith is a gift. I've come to realize that you never know what your faith really is until you encounter your own storms in life. Faith is not what you say or think it is. Faith is how you respond to storms that overwhelm you and make you feel helpless. The disciples left everything to follow Jesus. They were so inspired by his teachings, healings and miracles. But when the storms came and overwhelmed them, they didn't have faith. They were just like us. But the good news is that today's story is not about your faith. It's about what Jesus does. The disciples did not yet have faith. But what they did do was call out to Jesus. They didn't just call out, they woke him up. They woke him up and said to him, Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing? (Mark 4:38) Jesus responded: And waking up, he rebuked the wind and said to the sea, Be silent! Be still! Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. (Mark 4:38) It's not about your faith. It's about what God does. Jesus, do you not care? The answer is a resounding yes , I do. God is merciful. God hears your cry. God is awake to your calling out. I lift up my eyes to the hills from where will my help come?My help comes from the Lord,who made heaven and eart

Scripture Passage Romans 8:12-17 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Living an Empowered Life Our time here on earth is short. With the time we have, I believe it's important to live an empowered life. I believe that is God's desire for us. These were Jesus' last words to his disciples: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. (Acts 1:8) It was a promise of empowerment. After St. Paul met Christ, his life changed. He lived an empowered life. For him too, the source of this power was clear: the Spirit of God. There was a clear contrast between an empowered life and a disempowered life. This is how he describes it: For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. (Romans 8:5-6) To set your mind on the things of the flesh is a disempowered life. To set it on the Spirit is life and peace – an empowered life. Things of the Flesh We need to know what the difference is between flesh and Spirit. St. Paul did not mean literal flesh. He meant things that relate to our earthly existence. Things we need to live, like: Money. Health. Job. Reputation. We need them to live, but they are temporary and perishable. When we die, all of that goes away. Setting our minds on these things is not an empowered life. But that's easier said than done. We know that these earthly things are temporary. But they affect us on such a deep level because these are the things that make up so much of our daily lives. When you don't have these things, or your situation is shaky, it makes you feel vulnerable and insecure. Your experience of lacking these earthly things can rock your sense of safety and fill your heart with fear. Money struggles may come and go. Health challenges may come and go. But the fear they produce remains. The things of the flesh may be temporary, but their effects on our hearts can be permanent. They make your heart fearful. That fear saps power from your life. The Solution to Fear We think the solution to overcoming that fear is to improve or get rid of the circumstances that produced the fear. So we set our minds on these things of the flesh. But that is setting your mind on the wrong things. To set your mind on the things of flesh does not lead to life and peace. Yes, your circumstances might be better. But your heart remains the same. It remains a prisoner of fear. Focusing only on creating good circumstances is not the path to an empowered life. But so much of our time and energy is focused on that. Because that is what we see. We are not only flesh. We are not only physical creatures who eat and reproduce. We are also spirit. We are spiritual beings who have a consciousness and desire for meaning. Just like your body, your spirit must be tended to and nourished. If you neglect it, it will be malnourished and shrivel up. It won't come alive. When your circumstances are good, then you have the pleasure of those circumstances. Pleasure is good. But pleasure is like dessert. I love dessert. After a great meal, it is a delightful way to end it. But that's just what good circumstances and pleasure are – dessert. If you have it, that's great! But without the main course, dessert is just empty calories. Too much dessert, and you feel sick. You need the main course. The main course is food that feeds your spirit. Food that makes your heart come alive. We've been too focused on making and eating dessert. We haven't fed our hearts with the main course. This is the reason people don't feel passion for life. Why people feel no meaning or purpose in life. They are not driven by the real desires of their heart. They are driven instead by fear. Their hearts remain locked away in fear. It remains buried. The Spirit Sets Us Free So many people don't know what their heart truly desires. That is a sad reality of our modern life. For St. Paul, it was clear what the main course is: the Spirit of God. The Spirit is not something we can touch or see. The Spirit is present in your heart. When the Spirit is connected with your heart, the Spirit revives it. The heart heals. The heart gains new insight. The heart grows. Most importantly: the Spirit gives you power to break free from the fear that imprisons your heart. The empowerment of the Spirit is the power to set your spirit free from fear. This is the freedom that St. Paul experienced: Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there the heart is set free (2 Corinthians 3:17) A heart set free to soar. To dance. To desire. I don't own a dog, but I've seen dogs unleashed at the park. They are free. They become who they really are – dogs. An empowered life is having a spirit that is set free from fear. It is not about your circumstances. Whatever your circumstances, a strong spirit will give you empowerment. That is the kind of empowered life that St. Paul li

Scripture Passage John 15:9-17 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script The Last Commandment Love one another. This is the last commandment Jesus taught us. It is the last commandment, the greatest commandment, and the most important commandment. When you put together everything Jesus did, said, and taught, the ultimate conclusion is this: LOVE. So Jesus said this conclusively. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. (John 15:12) What is the meaning of the word, commandment? It doesn't mean having obligation to do what you don't want to do. It means what is the most important in your life. What makes your life life. The reason for you to live. The reason for you to live is to love. The ultimate purpose of life is to love. Love is the most important thing in life. That's why St. Paul said at the end of his famous chapter on love. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13) That was his conclusion too. Do you believe that? Love Makes Us Happy Also, love gives you happiness. When you are in love, you are happy. People who are in love have a big smile on their faces. Because they are joyful. They are happy. That was what Jesus said today. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. (John 15:11) The reason Jesus came to the world was to make you happy. He came to love you and tell you how much God loves you so that you may become happy. Love makes joy come alive. Love makes you happy. Do you believe that? Then if we believe that love is the most important thing in life and love makes you happy, how come I don't see love much around me? I see a lot of hatred and anger. I see indifference. People don't seem to care. But not love. Maybe we say we believe that but don't truly believe that in our heart? Maybe we don't have conviction in that? Created in the Image of Love Christians believe that love is the most important thing in life and love makes us happy. Because our Lord Jesus said so. Because we are also convicted in our heart as the truth. Because we have also experienced that ourselves in life. When God created us, God put love within us. When love is the most important thing, wouldn't God put that in our heart? It is more important than eyes, ears, arms, and legs. It is more important than stomach, intestines, liver, and kidney. When God put all those things within us, wouldn't God put love which is the most important within us? Yes, God put love within us when he created us. God created us in the image of God and the image of God is love. This was what John said. Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. (1 John 4:7-8) Because we have love, we can be connected with God. Because God is love. God put love within us so that we can relate to God. Also so that we can relate to each other and relate to the creation. This was what the first human being said about Eve. This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. (Genesis 2:23) Growing to Love We have love almost like an instinct. I could see that last week. Teddy and Nicole's baby, Cody, had a complication. I received a text on Wednesday from Nicole, asking for prayer. Fortunately, Cody is Ok and he came home. I know the feeling of Nicole and Teddy because Yong Mi and I went through a similar situation. I saw the love of parents. Babies will grow with parents' love. They are the first people they see when they are born. That is the first world they encounter. The first thing they experience is love. Love makes you grow. Love makes you a complete human adult. Being an adult doesn't mean now you are 18. It means to become a person who can fully love. That was Paul's idea of love and being an adult. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. (1 Corinthians 13:11) He said this in his famous love chapter. When you are able to fully love, you put an end to childish ways and become an adult. Teach your children love. There is nothing more important than that. When they learn to love, they will survive in any situation. They will be strong. You are strong not when you have muscles. You are strong when you are able to persevere through extreme situations. When you have love, you will have that strength. Rekindling Our Love The reason we cannot see much love around us is because the love within us is damaged. When we are hurt, we are not just hurt but the love within us gets damaged. We become hardened. We become incapable of receiving love and giving love. Jesus came to heal the damaged love within us. Jesus came to rekindle the love within us. Love heals. Jesus' love heals. Jesus expressed his love in this way. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. (John

Scripture Passage Acts 8:26-40 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script The Way of the Spirit Jesus described the Spirit in this way. We are familiar with this verse. The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. (John 3:8) The Spirit is like the wind. We can hear the sound of it. We can even feel it. But we can't control or predict its movement. It blows where it chooses. We may not like hearing this. We like to be in control. We like what is logical and predictable. We like to live our lives on our own terms. What Jesus says about the Spirit seems to tell us otherwise. The Spirit does not move the way we want. That doesn't mean it moves arbitrarily either. Notice how Jesus said, it blows where it chooses . It moves with its own purpose and intent. He even said to Peter after the resurrection Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go. (John 21:18) We may not know exactly what the Spirit is thinking all the time. But the Spirit always moves according to God's will. Jesus revealed what that is to the disciples. It is our theme verse for the year But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8) The Spirit does not remain insular. It doesn't stay in one place. The Spirit always moves outwards. From our immediate circle to the neighbouring communities, and to the ends of the earth. The Spirit moves in such a way so that God's blessing and the gift of new life can be experienced by all people, not just some. It fulfills the promise which God originally gave to Abraham, the forefather of our faith. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. (Genesis 12:3) With Clear Direction In order for the Spirit to continue doing its work in this world, God calls us to do one thing. It is uncomplicated and simple in theory. But it can be challenging and difficult in actual practice. That is, to GO WHERE THE SPIRIT LEADS. That is how the early church started. That is how the good news of the resurrection spread. It wasn't necessarily the acts of the apostles. It was the acts of the Spirit, and the people who went wherever the Spirit led them. In today's passage, we read the story of Philip. This isn't Philip the Apostle, but Philip the Evangelist. He was one of the Seven who were chosen to care for the poor in the early church community. Philip lived his life going where the Spirit led him. He didn't think twice. He simply went. He trusted in the way of the Spirit. Then the angel of the Lord said to Philip, Get up and go toward the south (Acts 8:26) So he got up and went. (Acts 8:27) Then the Spirit said to Philip, Go over to this chariot and join it. (Acts 8:29) So Philip ran up to it (Acts 8:30) Each time, the Spirit directs Philip's steps. It almost seems too simple and straightforward to be true. But I believe that is how the Spirit works. It is absolutely CLEAR when it calls. Like the wind when it blows. Because it comes knocking on our hearts. It pulls us in a certain direction. It is so clear that it frightens us at times. So, rather than going where the Spirit leads, we turn away from it. We let the voice of fear and doubt dominate our hearts. We come up with clever justifications on why we can't go. I'm not ready yet I have other plans Other people can do it We complicate what is so simple and straightforward. The Spirit Takes us Beyond When I first sensed my call to ministry, I was so anxious and afraid that I didn't address it for about two years. I had this deep conviction that I was to live my life for others. That conviction was answered in the form of calling to ministry. But it came at the most unexpected and inconvenient time. I was afraid to make such a drastic change to my life. Then one day, I had this vision while I was praying. I was alone in a house on an island. I was floating through this particular area in the house. When I looked to my right, I caught a view of this vast, beautiful ocean through the window. I remember thinking, I wonder what it's like to be out on those waters Even though I wanted to go and see it for myself, I didn't go out. Actually, I couldn't. I was too scared. The experience kept on repeating itself. I found myself circling the same spot, over and over again. The Spirit always wants to take us beyond our small world of familiarity and certainty. The Spirit wants to lead us into the world of the unknown, where there is SURPRISE, CONNECTION, and TRANSFORMATION. That is what happened to Philip. He just went where the Spirit led him. Because of that, he became connected with an Ethiop

Scripture Passage Acts 4:5-12 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script The Work of the Spirit What happened to the Christians after their leader, Jesus, died? Usually when a leader dies, the movement loses its power and slowly dies away. That's why they killed Jesus. They wanted to kill the movement by killing its leader. But it wasn't so with the Christian movement. After Jesus died, the movement got stronger and bigger. It spread much more powerfully. Jesus basically stayed in Palestine during his lifetime. He moved up and down from Galilee to Jerusalem. But after Jesus died, the movement spread to all over from Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. And it changed the Roman Empire. It spread to the whole world. What was the reason? What was the driving force? It was the Holy Spirit. We cannot explain this phenomena without including the work of the Spirit in its formula. They received the Holy Spirit. And with the power of the Holy Spirit, they were able to do more powerful works than Jesus, their leader did. A new momentum erupted when they received the Spirit. That was what Jesus wanted. This was what Jesus said while he was alive. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate (the Holy Spirit) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. (John 16:7) Jesus released the Spirit to them. And Jesus said, Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. (John 14:12) The Disciple Who Was Different During Jesus' lifetime, the disciples were weak. They didn't have much faith. They had no courage. They were quite ignorant and incapable. So, Jesus often told them: O men of little faith. How long must I stay with you? Why don't you understand this? Jesus was quite frustrated with them. They always doubted. They always sought their own glory. They were always filled with fear. They were full of themselves and yet very weak. But today, Peter was different. Peter was bold. Listen. Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said (Acts 4:8) With boldness and courage, he said, let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. (Acts 4:10) He didn't doubt; he believed. He was filled with the Spirit. He was standing in front of Sanhedrin, the highest court, the court that decided to crucify Jesus. Death was before his eyes. And yet he was calm and confident. That was the same Peter who denied Jesus three times. Never mind the Sanhedrin. He was scared of a little girl. Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant-girl came to him and said, You also were with Jesus the Galilean.' But he denied it before all of them, saying, I do not know what you are talking about.' (Matthew 26:69-70) A very different person you see today. It is the same Peter. But he was very different. A person can change. What changed him? The Spirit. Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:8) Changed Through The Spirit A person can change only through the Holy Spirit. The early Christians received the Spirit and they were filled with the Spirit. The concrete sign of being filled with the Holy Spirit was boldness and courage. They were able to overcome the fear within them. They weren't scared of anything. Even death could not intimidate them, never mind the powerful kings and authorities. When death could not intimidate them, nothing in the world could intimidate them. THAT IS THE POWER. Listen to what Peter and John said. A little later in the same chapter. But Peter and John answered them, Whether it is right in God's sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge. (Acts 4:19) They feared God but not people. That was what our Lord Jesus taught us. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28) They were bold not because they were able to psych themselves up, but because they were filled with the Spirit. It's not what you do but it is what the Spirit does. A clear sign of the working of the Spirit is to help you overcome fear in your life. You can even embrace the fear of death. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, died with this boldness. When they heard these things, they became enraged and ground their teeth at Stephen. But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. (Acts 7:54-55) It was not just Stephen. When the early Christians received the Spirit, they all overcame their fear. They boldly proclaimed the power of Jesus. Stronger Than Fear This is very important to all of us as Christians living in this world. Don't live with fear. Don't live with doubt. Suzy Kassem, Egyptian-American

Scripture Passage John 14:1-7, Matthew 7:14-21 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script We thank our guest speaker, Rev. Dr. Ernest van Eck, for sharing the Word with us this past Sunday. The sermon script is unavailable for this week. Sorry for the inconvenience! The post He Is the Way to a True Life appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage Isaiah 50:4-9 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Doing Good for Others Isaiah was a prophet in Babylon. He was part of the exiles who were deported from Jerusalem. He ministered to the exiles. He ministered to people who were weary. God gave Isaiah a gift. The Lord God has given me a trained tongue, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. (Isaiah 50:4) Isaiah's gift was to give strength to the weary exiles with a word. A word to sustain them. To keep them going. I believe that we are all created to do good. We are all given something to help others. I believe that our ultimate purpose on this earth is to do good for others. The spiritual journey connects you with the good that God has given you to help others. We hope that others will receive what we have to give. We hope they will be thankful and appreciative. Seeing people appreciate our goodness is like fuel that keeps us going. We want affirmation for the good we do. But somehow, that's not always the case. Doubt Over the Bad My good intentions are not always received well. Sometimes they're misunderstood. People can receive what I do badly. Instead of the good I'm trying to do, they only see the bad. We are all a mixture of good and bad. I'm not perfect. I try to do good, but sometimes it gets distorted by the bad in me. It taints the good I want to do. All of this is part of who we are. But people see the bad. They judge you based on the bad. They're eager to point out your flaws. They let you know how bad you are. When others only see the bad and not the good you want to do, you wonder what's the point of trying to do good. Doubt creeps in. This is the dilemma Isaiah was facing. He spoke the word God gave to sustain the weary. But it wasn't well received. The more he spoke what God said, the more people rejected it. He was tempted to stop listening. But that is not what he did. The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I did not turn backward. (Isaiah 50:5) He could just stay quiet and not stir up any reaction. But he did not shut off his ear. He did not turn backward. He persisted in doing good. Conviction in What You Do What are you living for? Where does your conviction come from? Are you driven by the need for approval from others? Or are you driven by your deepest convictions about what is good? Are you living out your convictions and doing your best to do good? Isaiah was convicted by the rightness of what he was doing. It was unshakeable. That conviction came from his deep connection with God. Morning by morning he wakens – wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught. (Isaiah 50:4) Every day, he listened to what God was saying. God made clear what Isaiah had to do. God gave him the words to speak. When you know what you have to do, and that conviction comes from God, nothing can shake you. Even if others reject you, you can stand firm in what you have to do. A New Vision for Humanity Many scholars believe Isaiah was not speaking about himself. He was speaking of a servant. They don't know exactly who this servant was. This Servant was more of an ideal. An ideal of a new humanity. In exile, Isaiah saw a new vision for a new humanity. His experience in exile changed how he saw things. He experienced how difficult life was for the weak. How weary life was for the poor. He saw the stark contrast between the rich and poor, strong and weak. In this situation, God gave Isaiah a new vision for humanity. A humanity driven by goodness. This is what he saw: The wolf shall live with the lamb; the leopard shall lie down with the kid;the calf and the lion will feed together, and a little child shall lead them. (Isaiah 11:6) No more wars. No more domination over the weak by the strong. Only goodness. The Servant embodied this new vision of humanity. A humanity that did not react to hate. A humanity that broke the cycle of anger and violence. A humanity in which goodness would triumph over evil. This Servant would carry on goodness and even absorb the hate of others. I gave my back to those who struck me and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting. (Isaiah 50:6) No vengeance. No hate. No bitterness. Only confidence. Only resoluteness. Only goodness. The exiles would overcome their weakness not through power but by resolute goodness. That was the way of salvation for all peoples. They were to be a light for all peoples by living the way of goodness. This vision captured the imagination of Jews. But for 600 years, it was only in their imagination. For 600 years, they struggled with this vision in a world driven by power. But 600 years later, followers of Jesus connected the vision of this Servant with the life of Jesus. Jesus lived out the goodness of God. Somehow, the good that Jesus did stirred up a fierce reaction against him. People opposed him. Despised him. Attacked him. But he did not react to hate. He did not hide from rejection. He simply did

Scripture Passage John 12:20-33 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script A Time for Everything Jesus' life was very different from our life. We do not really know what time it is. Jesus knew exactly what time it was. Ecclesiastes teaches us this wisdom. For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:a time to be born, and a time to die;a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;a time to break down, and a time to build up;a time to weep, and a time to laugh;a time to mourn, and a time to dance;a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones togethera time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-5) We do not know what time it is. And we don't care actually what time it is. We do not know whether it is the time to tear or the time to sew, the time to keep silence or the time to speak. Up to this point, Jesus kept saying to people: My hour has not yet come. But in the passage we read today, finally, Jesus said: The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. (John 12:23) In other words, Jesus knew exactly what time it was. Up to this point, Jesus performed 7 miracles in John. That's why chapters 1-12 are called the Book of Signs. And the last miracle was to raise Lazarus from the dead. But after today's story, Jesus didn't perform any miracles. He knew that it was not the time for him to do miracles. It was the time to quietly accept what was about to happen. He knew it was not the time for him to hold onto his life but the time to let go. Why did he stop doing miracles and just accept what was about to happen to him? Because he knew what was happening was beyond his control. He knew that time came. Jesus Knew the Time When he decided to raise the dead Lazarus, which was his last miracle, he knew that this wouldn't be good. It wasn't good politically for him. Already, the religious leaders did not like that so many people followed Jesus. And raising Lazarus from the dead would make more people follow him. That did not sit well with the religious leaders. Jesus knew that. He saw it right. Right after raising Lazarus, this was what the religious leaders said. So the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the council, and said, What are we to do? This man is performing many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation.' So from that day on they planned to put him to death. (John 11:47, 48, 53) Not only they tried to kill Jesus but also even Lazarus. When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus. (John 12:9-11) Today's passage comes right after this. So Jesus knew that by raising Lazarus, he would get into trouble and his situation would be out of his control. So he chose to let go. In his mind, he had this determination like Esther. If I perish, I perish. Choosing to Let Go Letting go is accepting what is happening right now and leaving it in God's hands, instead of worrying about it. To let go, you have to have trust. You have to have faith. Letting go is not easy. Even for Jesus, it was not easy. This was what Jesus said. Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say Father, save me from this hour ? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name. (John 12:27, 28) Jesus wanted to raise Lazarus even though this would brought him a lot of troubles. It would create a situation where he had no control. But he did it because it was the right thing to do. So Jesus did it and left the situation in God's hands. That is letting go. Do your best to live out God's calling and after that, leave your life in God's hands. Do what is right and after that, leave your future in God's hands. That is what it is to let go. My friends, you have to learn to let go. Letting go is the secret of living a happy life. People suffer so much agony because they cannot let go. They cannot let go of those who hurt them. They cannot let go of their painful past. They cannot let go of fear they have. They cannot let go of worries and anxieties. They hold onto all these things within them. These things torment them. This was what St. Paul taught us to to. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6) Don't worry about anything but let your requests be made known to God. That is letting go. Then what happens? And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7) Why do you hold unto garbages within you. You have to let go. Don't try to control what you cannot control. Don't carry all

Scripture Passage Isaiah 40:21-31 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Living With Power Last week, we talked about the authority of life. The authority of life is the empowerment of life. This week, I am going to talk about a similar theme. I think the Spirit is guiding us into that theme. This year's theme is Be A Witness. To make us a witness, God gives us the message about the power and the authority. To be a witness, you will have to have power. Only with power, you can be a bold witness. That's why Luke said in his book, Acts. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8) Before he told them to be a witness, Jesus told them to receive power first. Living as a witness is living with power. That was how the early Christians lived. They were bold. They lived with power and authority. That power and authority did not come from them. They didn't have anything. No position in their society, no money, and no powerful connection. They were in the marginalized minority. Their power and authority came from the Spirit. It was not the power that belonged to them. It was the power that was given to them. Even though they were weak in every way, they had the power. St. Paul became a witness after he experienced this kind of power. but he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.' So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) You can be confident ALWAYS in any circumstance when you have the power that comes from outside, not from you. The power that comes from you can help you only when you are strong. When you are weak, that power disappears. But the power that comes from God is always with you regardless of the condition you may be in. Paul knew the secret of this power. But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. (2 Corinthians 4:7-10) The extraordinary power belongs to God not to you. That kind of power gives us confidence in all kinds of situations. In Our Waiting We have to have this kind of power. We have to wait for this kind of power. Isaiah cried out. but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,they shall mount up with wings like eagles,they shall run and not be weary,they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31) Isaiah was talking about the power that comes from God. Those who wait for the Lord will have new strength. They shall mount up like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. There are times when we feel tired. There are times when we feel like giving up. There are times when our circumstances are unbearable. There are times when we feel so small. That was what the Israelites experienced in captivity. As they were taken in captivity, they lost all their dreams. They were losing hope in God. They started thinking that God could not do anything for them. Isaiah saw that in people. Isaiah saw that they were losing passion for God. They started becoming inward looking. They ran away into their own small world. They were not captivated only by their enemies. They became captives in their own small world. When Job lost everything, his friends came to him. They came to comfort him but they didn't really comfort him. Rather they took away Job's last hope. Job's last hope was God's recognition of his own righteousness. His friends took that away from Job. They tried to prove to Job that he must have done something wrong. When Job saw no hope left for him, he caved into his small miserable world. What did God do in the end? This was what God said to Job. Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?Gird up your loins like a man,I will question you, and you shall declare to me. Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?Tell me, if you have understanding.Who determined its measurements surely you know!Or who stretched the line upon it?On what were its bases sunk,or who laid its cornerstone? (Job 38:1-6) What is God doing here? He is bringing Job out of his small world and letting him see the bigger world. Living with Renewed Strength When we have problems, we often cave into our own small world. That small world is filled with problems, self-pity, anger, disappointment, and fear. In that small world, you lose yourself. Israelites were

Scripture Passage Mark 1:21-28 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Restorative Authority Mark wanted to show right from the beginning that Jesus had the authority. That was important to Mark. He wanted to get across this message. This Jesus of Nazareth was not merely a village preacher. He was the man with the authority. After baptism, temptation, and calling of disciples, the first thing Mark recorded was what we read today. Mark wanted to show that Jesus had the power over darkness. He had power over the evil spirit. That was Mark's witness. He saw that kind of power in Jesus. That is who Jesus is. Jesus has the power to defeat the evil of this world. This poor man was tortured by the evil spirit. He could not be what he was supposed to be. He could not live his full potential. Something more powerful than him controlled him. That was not what he wanted but the evil spirit controlled him. We are not exactly like him. We won't necessarily identify with this man. But, in fact, we are very much like him. We are not as free as we think. We are tortured by the negative spirit often. We don't want to feel that way but we do. Darkness hovers over us and this darkness leads us into despair and anxiety. We cannot be what we are supposed to be. We cannot live our full potential. We are not living the best version of ourselves. Something else controls us. It's not that we are hungry. It's not that we don't have a place to live. It's not that we don't have clothes to wear. And yet, we feel empty even though we are not hungry. We feel naked even though we have lots of clothes. We have many worries even though we have everything. We constantly live in fear. I don't think doing well in our career will help us. I don't think having more money will help us. I don't think having more time will help us. It is our internal problem. Since it is our internal problem, we cannot solve it externally by doing something. Our biggest problem is that we don't have the AUTHORITY over our life. We don't feel the empowerment to live as we wish. Jesus took out the evil spirit out of him. Jesus freed him from the power that enslaved him. People saw the authority of Jesus Christ. They said, What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him. (Mark 1:27) They saw the authority working through Jesus. With that authority, Jesus restored the authority in that man. That is what Jesus does to us. Jesus restores authority within us. Living in God’s Image You are beautiful. You are wonderfully made. Last week, we reflected on that through Rev. Simon Park's sermon. For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb.I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works;that I know very well. My frame was not hidden from you,when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. (Psalm 139:13-15) We are created in God's image. But we lost the image of God. You heard about unmarked graves they found in old residential schools. We were all shocked when they found so many unmarked graves at the residential schools. They found 215 unmarked graves at Kamloops residential school. Many of them were taken away from their parents against their wishes and their parents' wishes. That was not what they wanted. That was not what their parents wanted. But they took them away anyway. Some of them never returned home but no explanation. Now they know. They were buried. In the name of assimilation and Christianization, they destroyed their language, their culture, and their identity. They destroyed the image of God in them. That is what the evil power does. Destroying the image of God within us. Jesus came to restore the image of God. Jesus came to give back to us the authority that makes us who we are supposed to be. Jesus had the power to do that. His teaching was filled with authority. They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. (Mark 1:21, 22) Jesus had the authority and with that authority, he healed the man totally bounded by the evil spirit. By healing him, Jesus gave him back the authority he deserved. Authority to live with the image of God. Authority to live as a child of God. True Authority But interestingly, this is not the end of the message of Mark. Mark's story is developed in a strange way. Mark had a secret in his story. Mark wanted to reveal the mystery of the gospel. The secret of the gospel. In the beginning, Mark showed that Jesus had the authority to defeat the power of darkness. But only in the beginning, Mark described Jesus' power. As the story progressed, Jesus didn't do this kind of miracles any more. Even when he performed a miracle, he told people to be quiet. Don't tell people about it. Jesus was quiet. Often he talked about his own death. Peter even rebu

Scripture Passage Mark 1:14-20 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script What He Sees When Jesus met his first disciples, it was an ordinary day. This is how Mark describes it: As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea – for they were fishermen As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. (Mark 1:16, 19) It was an ordinary day for Simon, Andrew, James and John. They were just doing what folks had done for generations. Their parents had fished. Their parents had fished. They were fishing. They were simply doing their jobs and feeding their families. They probably did not see much beyond what they were doing now. But Jesus saw something very different. He did not see just fishermen. He saw who they would become. What Jesus saw in them, they would never have imagined for themselves. Jesus sees you. But he doesn't only see who you are today. He sees who you can become. He sees what you can do. He sees the potential and possibility in you. He sees things in you that you cannot see for yourself. Isn't that amazing? Jesus called his disciples: Follow me and I will make you fish for people. (Mark 1:17) The disciples thought the extent of their role in life was to catch fish and feed their families. But Jesus was calling them to more. He was calling them to fish for people. To be a blessing to more people. Jesus was calling them. Calling is not about finding your passion. It is not about pursuing what you want to do. Calling is being pulled beyond who you are today to become someone bigger. Calling is being transformed into a bigger person so that you can bless others. Jesus did not see uneducated, unsophisticated fishermen. He saw people who would lead others to God with great power. Jesus sees the potential and possibility in you. He sees gifts that you have not discovered that can be used to bless others. Learning to Grow Beyond Yourself The problem is how we see ourselves. We only see who we are today. We see our limits. I'm not rich. I'm not powerful. I'm not capable. Who I am, and what I have, is not much. The best I can do is to take care of myself and my family. We see our limitations so clearly. Everywhere we go, we are reminded of our limitations and shortcomings. There is always someone smarter than me. More attractive than me. More capable than me. When we compare ourselves to others, we always feel so small. What could I possibly contribute when there are people who are so much better than me? Our limitations define us. They stop us from doing more. From being more. And we settle to live life within those limitations. Within those limitations, we stay in our own small world. We don't grow beyond that. We get very comfortable in it. Being comfortable is nice. I can't wait to go on our vacation down south – the first time since Covid. I can't wait to lie down on a beach chair with my drink and be comfortable. But only being comfortable doesn't lead to growth. If you are not growing, you stagnate. Stagnation is the recipe for death. Whether physical death or existential death. We need to grow. The best way to grow is by serving others. When you serve others, you are forced to grow. Human relations are the most difficult. You confront someone totally different from yourself. You have to learn how to understand them. Communicate with them. Connect with them. You have to grow to learn how to do that. The other day I had lunch with a young adult. She's struggling with her work right now because of her boss. The work itself is not that inspiring, but she can live with it. But it's the people aspect that makes it difficult. The boss was probably good at this job, or good at getting noticed. But he's not good with people. He doesn't know how to relate or communicate. Or make people feel valued and heard. And that makes life so difficult for those who work with him. We have to grow so that we can be a blessing to those around us, not a source of burden. A Journey of Transformation Let me suggest two concrete ways you can be a blessing to others. First: learn how to see people and notice them. Especially those who are less popular or influential. Train your eyes to see them. Notice how they're doing. Secondly: learn to see beyond what you see on the surface. Don't just see their flaws and limitations. Learn to recognize gifts they might not recognize in themselves. Learn to see their potential. Learn how to share this with them. You will see what kind of effect that has on them. Notice them and see what's special about them. You will be a blessing to those people. To do that, you need to grow. When you follow Jesus, you begin a journey of transformation so that you can bless others. Jesus gives you the power to change. We've all heard that Jesus died for my sins. That our sins are forgiven. What does this mean? It means that Jesus no longer sees your limitations. He doesn't defin

Scripture Passage 1 Samuel 3:1-20 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Our Voices of Logic Today's story is about what happens when God speaks. These are the first words God said to Samuel: See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle. (1 Samuel 3:11) When God speaks, God is about to do something. When God speaks, everything is about to change. Hearing God speak is something that sounds very foreign to modern ears. We don't know what that is, or what it looks like. The voices we do hear are the voices of logic and reason. With logic, we have learned how to survive in this world. Logic helps us understand the world, analyze it and adapt to it. The other day, I was speaking to someone who works at the head office of McDonald's. To us, they're simply selling Big Macs. But behind the scenes, the best and brightest minds use all of their logic to analyze mountains of data, see patterns, and come up with ways to sell even more Big Macs. They know us better than we know ourselves! I was so fascinated by what goes into the business of selling Big Macs. Logic has done wonders for our lives. There is an important place for it. But logic alone is not everything. Logic can help us survive, but logic cannot bring fulfillment to our lives. It comes up with solutions based on the facts and data available to it. It is dependent on those facts and data. Logic cannot understand mysteries of life that go beyond facts and data. It cannot anticipate a future different from what already exists. It cannot imagine a future independent of the facts and data that exist now. Speaking to Our Hearts When God speaks, he speaks of things that logic cannot understand. What God is about to do does not depend on what exists now. God creates something new out of nothing. Most of us know that there is more to life than logic. We know that only living logically does not bring happiness. No matter how logical our choices and decisions have been, we still feel something is missing. We feel that in our hearts. The funny thing is, instead of listening to the heart to see what's missing, we use logic to try and figure out how to fill the empty space in our heart! God does not speak to us through our logic. God speaks to the place that can imagine something new and different from what exists now. That place is the heart. God speaks to the heart. The heart is what notices that something is missing. Even when logic has covered all the bases, it is the heart that says maybe everything is not right. Logic tries to snuff out the heart. It says the heart is not rational. It says the heart is silly. It says Trust in me, because I have all the answers. But my friends, when you hear a little voice from the heart trying to say something, stop. Stop and listen. God may be trying to speak to you! It is a mystery how and why God chooses to speak to us. Many people believe in some sort of higher being, but not many people believe that this higher being chooses to speak to us in a personal way. Somehow, starting with Abraham, a small group of people experienced God speaking to them in a real and personal way. The psalmist expresses his wonder this way: When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are humans that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? (Psalm 8:3-4) This is the God who continues to speak to us today. Simply Have Openness There is no criteria for whom God chooses to speak to. You don't need to already be in a relationship with God. Samuel did not know God when God spoke to him. Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. (1 Samuel 3:7) Samuel served in the temple since he was a little boy. He learned a lot about God from Eli, but he did not know God. Many of you have come to church for a long time. You've learned a lot about God, but you may not have met God yet. And that's okay. Samuel did not yet know God, but when I look at him, I see a heart that is open and receptive. Five times in this passage, his response was Here I am ! Here I am. This is a very special term in the Bible. The term indicates a posture of openness. A posture of trust and surrender. Samuel had this spirit of openness. At first, he didn't know who was calling him, but each time he responded with the openness of here I am! He trusted Eli's direction to ask God to speak: Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening! . With that openness he heard God speak, and he listened. When we hear a voice in our heart calling out to us, how many of us actually take the time to stop and listen! God chooses when to speak. But when he does, you will hear him only if your heart is attentive and you listen with the spirit of Here I am . When we pray, we pray with a heart of openness. We listen with our hearts to what God may say to us. What is Hidden in Our Hearts How do you know you're hearing the voice of

Scripture Passage Acts 1:8 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Sharing Our Experiences Early Christians had wonderful experiences. They never had this kind of experience before in their lives. Jesus had a profound impact on them. First time, they felt they were so full of life. They realized how beautiful life was. They felt so positive about their lives. God became so real to them. The important thing is – They didn't keep their experiences to themselves. They shared. They shared their experiences with others. That is what BEING A WITNESS is all about. Sharing what you experienced with others. When good things happen, you want to share with others, don't you? They were all witnesses to good things that happened to them. They saw clearly what God was doing in their lives and for the world. They saw that the new world had come and they proclaimed boldly the arrival of this new world. You have to understand how difficult it was for Christianity to survive. Christianity was not a big religion. A very small number of people. And they were not necessarily elites; they were ordinary people. Around them, there were a lot of sophisticated ideas, systems, and religions. Like Greek philosophy. Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Stoics, and so on. A very solid religious establishment like Judaism. A powerful and sophisticated political system like Romans. Christianity – A very new movement. It didn't have political power, financial power, cultural power or religious power. How did the Christianity survive? How did it break through the thick walls of opposition and persecutions? How did it overpower the big ideas that were present and became a dominant idea next several hundred years? It completely depended on WITNESSES – WITNESSES of those who experienced the power of God through Jesus Christ. Through their witnesses, Christianity was able to break through all kinds of barriers and walls and persecutions not only to survive but also to sweep through the whole world. That itself is the greatest miracle to me and that was what happened historically. The history is its proof. It wasn't what they experienced that changed the world. It was their witnesses that changed the world. Being A Witness Early Christians boldly witnessed to what they experienced. That was the power of the Spirit. St. Paul was one good example. On the road to Damascus, Paul had a wonderful experience of meeting Christ. His eyes were open. His worldview changed. His understanding of God changed. His attitude towards the law changed. His understanding of righteousness changed. His whole outlook of life changed. After that experience, he didn't keep it to himself. He shared what he experienced with people. The whole story of the Acts of Apostles is about Paul's life of being a witness. We are going to study that in February. Being a witness was not always easy to Paul. He was persecuted. He was hated. He was imprisoned. People tried to kill him. But he didn't stop being a witness. That is the power of the Spirit. He received a wonderful life message and he wanted to let others know. Church was established and Christianity was firmly rooted by his witnesses. His life was a witness to God's grace he experienced. He said, I am who I am by God's grace. His life was a witness to freedom he enjoyed. In Christ, he said we are free. Sometimes I hear this kind of statement. Oh, I should behave myself because they know that I am a Christian. That is not being a witness. That is putting up a false image. Be yourself. Be authentic. Be real. Being a witness is not to show how great you are. Being a witness is not to show how good you are. Being a witness means to show how God has been so good to you in spite of your shortcomings. It means to show how confident you can be in God's power even though you don't have your own personal power. You can share how you can be free from your obsession about your own survival. You can share how you can overcome your own difficult circumstances with grace. By being with those who are lonely, alienated, and abandoned, you are witnessing to Jesus' teaching. By rejoicing with those who rejoice and crying with those who cry, you become a witness to God's presence. Being a witness means to be humble and yet confident, to be gentle and yet firm, to be loving and yet courageous to be able to say what should be said. This is what St. Paul said. But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. (2 Corinthians 4:7-10) That is being a witness. You have this treasure in clay jars. The extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from you. You witness that to others. Your Humble Calling My

Scripture Passage 2 Corinthians 5:17 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script With a Faith-Driven Attitude Today is the last day of 2023. In a few hours, we will welcome 2024. How meaningful it is to come on the last day and worship together, thanking God for everything he did for us this year. This year was special. Christmas Eve was on Sunday. And the last day of this year is on Sunday. So it was very meaningful. On this last day, let us think about change. It is quite appropriate to think about change before we take the new year. People make new resolutions for the new year. That is a commitment to change. I talked about change last week already by reflecting on Mary. Jesus brought a new era, a new beginning. And Mary was impregnated with the new beginning in her body. That wasn't easy for Mary. It was a scary experience. But Mary listened. She didn't close her ears. She listened to her heart because God speaks to our heart. In her listening, she heard very clearly and loudly that nothing was impossible with God. Yes, nothing is impossible with God. Take the new year with that attitude. That is to prepare yourself mentally and spiritually. Plan it. Make resolutions. Dream dreams. BUT BELIEVE THAT NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD. Change is always hard. Never easy. Change always makes you uncomfortable. That's why you have to have this attitude that nothing is impossible with God. This attitude comes from your faith. So having faith is good. It gives you a positive attitude towards life. Inevitable Change Changes happen to you in three ways. First, change just happens. It just happens every day, every moment. It is nothing to do with you or nothing to do what you do. You have no choice but to take it. Like aging. Some people say aging sucks. I don't but some people say that. Whether aging sucks or not, you have no choice but to take it. Whether you like it or not, it just comes to you. Seasonal change – it just comes. No matter how much you like summer, winter will come. Relationships change. They don't stay the same. People change. Your children will not stay the same. They will grow, leave you, and find their own life. Sometimes it's sad but that's the way it is. These changes happen regardless of what you do. So be prepared to ACCOMMODATE these changes. If winter comes, be prepared with warm clothes. Learn to accept these changes. Don't resist. You don't need to be sad. Don't be depressed about it. Just think wisely how you are going to welcome these changes and deal with them. These changes will not necessarily bring harm to you. But often your unwise reaction to these changes can bring harm to you. Change by Choice Secondly, there are changes that you make. Around this time, people often make resolutions. From tomorrow, a new year begins. So we want to make some changes. I already bought at least three notebooks. One – 2024 calendar book. One – My personal journal. One – 5 Year journal. We need to constantly make intentional changes. Being able to make changes shows your empowerment. You don't want to take whatever is given to you. You want to make the best of it. So you make changes. If your health is not good, then make changes to improve your health. If you don't like certain things about yourself, then make changes so that you feel better about yourself and also become a better person. If you are in a toxic relationship, do something about it. You don't have to live with the abuse. If your habits make you unhappy, then make concrete plans to change your habits. You are not just victims of your old habits. No matter how long you have lived in a certain way, you can always change. That's what I believe. Nothing is impossible. That is the empowerment. The more you are empowered, the more courage you will have to make changes. Don't be scared of changes. Make a good friend with change. Routinely unroutined. (I don't know whether it is the word.) Discomfort forces you to make changes. In that way, discomfort is good. Problems are not a road block but a pathway to a better life because you see the need of change. Change with Divine Presence Thirdly, this is what I am interested in the most. There is change that happens with you when you are connected with the divine. It is not just natural change that happens to everyone. It is not the change you can intentionally make. It is the change that comes as a result of your connection with the divine. It is the kind of change St. Paul experienced. It was not a natural change. It was not a change he made. It was change as a result of being connected with the divine. It was so powerful that Paul said this. It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. (Galatians 2:20) When you are deeply connected with God, you realize that you are not alone. You are not alone in making all the important decisions. You are not alone in carrying all the burdens. You realize that you are deeply connected with the divine. You are not God but deep within you, there i

Scripture Passage Mark 13:14-27 Worship Video Due to technical difficulties, the Worship Video is unavailable for this week. Sorry for the inconvenience! Worship Audio Sermon Script Good Things to Come Today is the first Sunday of Advent. Advent means coming or arrival . It is also the first Sunday of the church calendar year. So we begin the new year by waiting for the coming of Christ. But it is not just ordinary waiting. It is waiting with great expectation. Jesus uses this example in today's passage: It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. (Mark 13:34) He then goes on to say: Therefore, keep awake – for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. (Mark 13:35) Be alert. Be awake with expectation. Today, I want to meditate on expectation. Expectation is the feeling that good things are about to come. My daughter gets so excited for December because starting December 1, they begin the Advent calendar that contains a chocolate each day. She looks forward to Christmas, when Santa brings presents. There is great expectation. Expectation brings excitement. It gives you something to look forward to. It gives you motivation and energy. Going The Way We Expect I've officiated a number of weddings now and it's been a great privilege. During the ceremony, you can really tell when a couple is in love. People cry when they recite sincere vows to one another. There is great expectation of a happy life ahead for the couple. Everyone shares in the joy of that expectation. Living with expectation is a great gift to human beings. But many times, our expectations go unfulfilled. They get chipped away. Somehow, the marriage is not as smooth and happy as I expected. The job is not as fulfilling as I expected. Achieving all that I wanted has not given me the satisfaction I expected. My life has not gone the way I expected. Underneath expectations is hope. A belief that something desired will come to be. When things don't turn out as we hoped, it affects our expectations. At first there is an effort to keep our expectations alive. You try and put in great effort. You wait patiently. But somehow, if things don't change, you get frustrated. Disappointment starts creeping in. Your heart gets tired of waiting. I wonder if that happened in the master's house. At first, they were attentive and waiting expectantly for the master to return. But after weeks, months and years, maybe they grew tired of waiting. When this happens, you lose belief that what you hope for will happen. Instead of giving you energy, the expectation becomes tiring. It becomes a reminder of the disappointment in your heart. When your heart is tired, expectation turns into resignation. Living with Indifference Resignation is having no expectations. It is seeing your undesired situation as inevitable. I don't want to be in this situation, but it's inevitable and unchangeable. And so you give up on having any expectations. Resignation then becomes indifference: the absence of any feeling about the situation you're in. You don't care any more. Indifference is the end result of unmet expectations. From expectation to resignation to indifference. A life of indifference is a life of no expectations. It's a dull life. It is a tiring life. Everything just drains you. All you can pursue are pleasures to escape the indifferent life you're living. But beyond that, there is no joy, no motivation, no sense of direction. The problem with indifference is that you fail to notice the possibilities of change. Jesus said this: From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. (Mark 13:28-29) Indifference prevents you from seeing new things that are about to happen. Instead of being ready for new things, you remain asleep in your indifference. I've seen this happen many times. As children, you see the expectation in their eyes. But when you meet them much later, that sparkle is gone. They don't live with any expectation. They just get by from one day to the next. A Mask For Our Hope I don't believe that indifference is our natural way to live. That is not how God created us. God created us to live with great expectations. Life is more than just getting by and enjoying the pleasures of life. Life is about living with the excitement and flavour that expectation brings! The difficulty of overcoming indifference is that it forces you to come face to face with your despair. The loss of hope you felt when your efforts failed. The disappointment you felt. The fear of failure and more disappointment. It feels easier to remain in your indifference. At least that way I won't feel any

Scripture Passages Isaiah 11:6-9, Ephesians 2:14-20, John 17:22-23 Worship Video Sermon Video Sermon Audio Sermon Script It is wonderful to gather together like this. This gathering itself is inspiring. It would be nice to have worship service like this every Sunday. One of the planning team members asked, can we do that every Sunday? How nice! God wants us to gather together and worship God in one spirit regardless of who you are. People from East and West and North and South come and worship God. Having this ONE SPIRIT is important to have a meaningful worship. So Jesus said, first be reconciled to your sister or brother and then come and offer your gifts. So we have gathered together this afternoon with A REPENTANT HEART to confess our sins that hurt our sisters and brothers PERSONALLY or/and SYSTEMATICALLY. We recognize that we have treated our sisters and brothers with less than FULL RESPECT. We recognize that we have been blinded by our own ENSLAVEMENT of PRIVILEGE AND POWER. We recognize that our SELF-CENTREDNESS had created prejudice, hurt, and division. We recognize that our laziness, complacency, indifference, and wilful blindness had ignored SYSTEMIC RACISM and injustice that had been going on for many years. Now we have come to recognize all these things and ask God to heal us and restore the one spirit within us. We come before God to ask God's forgiveness and God's help. Without God's help and our conviction, this event will become another SHOW we put on. By God's grace, not only are we forgiven but we are EMPOWERED to be able to live as a NEW CREATION. By God's grace, we are not anymore victims of division, separation, animosity, and domination. We are free by God's RADICAL GRACE. As St. Paul confessed, I am who I am by God's grace. He is saying that I am not anymore a victim of my dark history, my power-hungry environment, and my prejudiced self. I am free in Christ. In this freedom, I can be deeply connected to God and to others. So deeply connected that we have become one. So he confessed, There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28) In that freedom, the wall that divides us is broken. The letter to the Ephesians captured this idea very well. Even though it may not be Paul's authentic letter, it captures Paul's idea very well. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. (Ephesians 2:14) In Christ, we are one. We are not just black, white, or yellow. We are not just Canadians, Koreans, Chinese, Hungarian, and Arabic. We are a new creation by God's radical grace. We are given a new humanity. The fact that we are different does not divide us. Rather, it should be a way to ENRICH us. Unity can exist ONLY IN DIVERSITY. Without diversity, there is no unity, only UNIFORMITY. To create uniformity, you have to kill diversity. But to have the unity, diversity is necessary. Our differences should not be the reason that DIVIDE us. They should be the reason for us to CELEBRATE. So there is no reason to IGNORE these differences, FEAR these differences, and attempt to NEGATE and NULLIFY these differences. But that is not the reality that we see around us or we face every day in the world we live in. Instead of celebrating their differences, they have often become THREATENED by these differences. Their differences became not only their REASON but also their WEAPON to conquer and submit those who are not like them. Instead of finding a beautiful voice of harmony, they have SUPPRESSED different voices with the POWER and the PRIVILEGE they have. They cannot sing in HARMONY any more. Now they are all forced to sing in UNISON. By nullifying differences, we nullify our unique identity. By nullifying differences, we destroy the beautiful vision of being one. By ACCEPTING others, by RESPECTING others, and by EMBRACING others, we can be one. Without you, I can never be complete. That should be the attitude we should have. You and I together COMPLETE THE PICTURE. My congregation members know this phrase very well because I have quoted many times. As a matter of fact, our minister, the Rev. Simon Park just quoted last Sunday. It was originally an African saying: I am because you are. I can never define who I am without you. I am deeply connected with you. I am because you are. I can never be whole without you. Adam saw that when he saw Eve. This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. (Genesis 2:23) When God created human beings, he didn't create just two human beings: Adam, Eve. He created And that connects Adam and Eve. Now Adam, And, Eve. He created the RELATIONSHIP. He created the CONNECTEDNESS. The Unity. They did not have to pretend that they were NOT DIFFERENT. They were who they were. But by God's grace, they were connected. Jews and Gentiles were one in Christ, Paul said. Gentiles did not

Scripture Passage Matthew 25:31-46 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Invited to His Kingdom Today is Christ the King Sunday. It is the last Sunday of the church calendar. Next week is the start of Advent, which begins the new church calendar year. Advent means waiting. So the year starts with waiting. The year ends with Christ reigning as the king. What we waited for has come. Today's passage talks about what it will be like when Christ reigns as the king. It's a story about this kingdom and who gets invited: Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. (Matthew 25:34) Those invited into this kingdom are those who have lived with compassion. Those who fed the hungry; clothed the naked; welcomed the stranger; took care of the sick. What's interesting is, these people didn’t even realize they lived compassionate lives. They all asked: when was it? Being compassionate was just who they were. The kingdom that we rejoice in is a compassionate kingdom. It is where compassion is the way of life. No one gets left behind. No one is left alone. It is a beautiful image. We all want to live in this kind of world. We all agree that compassion is good. But the everyday life we live and experience often seems so different. Forgetting Those in Need To get home, I often have to make a left turn from Eglinton Avenue onto Martin Grove Road. It is a very busy intersection. At all hours, there are so many cars in that left turn lane. There are cars coming from the 401. From the 427. From Eglinton Avenue. All of them trying to squeeze onto that left turn lane. Sometimes you can't even get into it because there are so many cars. The whole time, my mission is to get in that lane and make that left turn. There's an advanced left turn green light. When it comes on, the race is on to make that left turn. When I'm there in the evening, there's often someone on the island by that left turn lane asking for money. The thing is, I don't carry around any cash. I either give an apologetic look, or I just look away because I feel bad. That lasts just a moment, because once that advanced light turns green, the race is on to make that left turn. Once the intersection is in the rear view mirror, I forget about that person. This experience at the intersection depicts much of our life today. We are too busy going to our next destination. Fighting to get into our lane. So busy that we don't see the person in need. I don't remember what the person looks like. I do not know that person's name. I do not know that person's story. I do not know what sort of struggles they're going through. In reality, it is as though that person doesn't exist. I saw that person, but I didn't really see that person. In the story of the Good Samaritan, a man was beaten and robbed and left half dead. A priest came across him and passed him by. A Levite then came across him and passed him by. They knew the Jewish laws very well. They knew they should help a stranger in need. There are many theories as to why they passed him by. I wonder if it was because they were just too busy. Too busy going to the synagogue or to attend to their important religious duties. To get to our destination, we can't see everything. We need to NOT see many things. Especially those who are in need. They just get in the way. They only slow us down. The only way to block them out is to become indifferent. To feel nothing toward them. We Lack Our Humanity The playwright, George Bernard Shaw, said this: The worst sin towards our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that's the essence of inhumanity. (George Bernard Shaw) Our indifference tells them that they don't exist. The worst sin is to essentially erase their existence. It says that their existence doesn't matter. Indifference not only affects those who are ignored. It affects the ones ignoring. Indifference robs us of our humanity. To be human is to be a connected creature. As the African proverb says: I am because you are . Connection with others is what gives joy to life. Indifference takes away that possibility of connection. Indifference robs us of the joy that comes from connecting with others. In our modern life, we are busy going from one place to another, but we don't see each other. The needs and suffering of others remain invisible from our indifference. That indifference dehumanizes us. Without realizing it, we float through a dehumanized existence. How can we retain our humanity in this dehumanizing world? Mother Teresa's Faithfulness Today's passage is most famously associated with Mother Teresa. She lived out this passage. She fed the hungry. Clothed the naked. Cared for the sick. She lived among the poorest of the poor. She served those whom everyone else had abandoned and discarded. She inspired millions of people around the world. After she died, her private letters were published. They revealed a person who had many doubts.

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Scripture Passage Matthew 25:14-30 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Everyone Has A Talent Today's story tells us many things about our life. The first thing that caught my attention was that we are all equipped with talents. Every single one of you has talents. Some of you sing well. Some of you do sports well. Some of you have good intelligence. Some of you have a great personality. Some of you have wisdom. Some of you have good health. Every single one of you has talents if you look at yourself carefully. Don't say that I have no talent. God gave each and every one of you talents. Some are hidden and others may be dormant yet. But you have talents. Another thing that caught my attention was that not everyone has the same amount of talents. Some have 5 talents. Others have 2 talents and still others have one talent. That's a fact. What can you do? Some are smarter than you. Some are stronger than you. No matter how much you try, if you were not born with a great voice, you will never be able to sing like Pavarotti or Celine Dion or Elvis. What can you do? No matter how much you try, there will be people who are better than you. You may not live up to the level of Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan even though you may have some athletic talents. Not only are our talents different, the amount of talents you have is different. This is where the problem comes. We don't like that. If our talents are all different, then it's ok. We can accept that. We can at least say that even if I don't sing well, I can dance well. But when the amount is different, when other people are better than you, it's hard to accept that. Because it makes you feel small and insignificant. You question why you are not as good as others. Why is she prettier than me? Why is he taller than me? Does God love me less? We translate the amount of talents into the amount of God's love. We measure the amount of God's love with the amount of talents we have. Appreciating Your Talents Once you start thinking like that, you are entering into a very slippery slope. This kind of thinking may lead you into self-pity and into a dark gloomy place. You lose confidence. You cannot even use the talent you have well. Maybe, that was what Jesus meant when he said this. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. (Matthew 25:29) I think that is what the person with one talent did. He felt that what he had was nothing compared to those who had 2 talents and 5 talents. He thought they had talents twice as much, five times as much as he had. All of a sudden what he had seemed so small and so insignificant. He didn't appreciate what he had. That is the problem a lot of us have. We don't appreciate what we have. But do you know how much is one talent? It is a big amount. It is the amount a day labourer can save for 20 years without spending it at all. The story is telling us that we all have enough. Even the person who had one talent had enough to be able to do something worthwhile. But he didn't think of doing anything with it. He just hid it in the ground. Even though what he had was enough, he fell into this trap of comparing himself with others. This reminds me of the movie Amadeus. Salieri was a good musician and yet he felt that he had nothing compared to what Mozart had. He didn't appreciate what he had. He felt that God did not love him. God did not bless him. He hated God who bestowed such a great talent to a person who was immature, silly, and obscene. He renounced God and vowed to take revenge on God by destroying Mozart. God gave all of you wonderful talents. Don't measure the worth of your talents by comparing with others. How much talents you have is not as important as how you enjoy your talents and do something worthwhile with what you have. When you enjoy what you have and start using it creatively, you can be content. Being content and being complacent are two different things. Being content is to appreciate what you have no matter how big or how small it may be. Content in Little and Plenty Yesterday, my grandkids came to our house. It is a small condo. 11 people were there and we could barely sit around. But the kids were different. They went into the bedroom and created their own game. They didn't let the environment limit them. They knew how to use their environment creatively to have fun. It is because their thinking is not tainted yet. It doesn't matter the environment. They know how to have fun, how to be happy. That was Paul's attitude. Not that I am referring to being in need; for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. (Philippians 4:11-12) He knew what it was to have little, and what it was to have plenty. Whether

Scripture Passage Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script A Leader of His Generation Joshua is a well known person in the Bible. But he's not as well known as Moses. Moses is the towering figure in biblical history. He was a giant. Moses led his people out of slavery in Egypt. He freed them from a mighty empire against all odds. These are the leaders who are revered and remembered. When such a towering figure leaves, they often leave a void. It is hard for others to follow those giant footsteps. Not anyone can do this. It takes someone very strong and capable. Joshua was that person. He filled the void left behind by Moses. Moses could not get to go into the Promised Land. He died in the wilderness. Joshua finished what Moses began. Joshua was the last surviving person of his generation. He was 110 years old when he gave the speech in today's passage. He lived through everything the Israelites had experienced, from bondage in Egypt to freedom, and from the wilderness to the Promised Land. Throughout his life, he saw all that God had done. All the wonderful and mighty things God did for them. And now, as he was getting ready to depart the earth, he wondered whether the next generation would experience God the way he had. Now that they were settled, would they continue to look to God as he had? Faith in God For Joshua and his generation, they had nowhere to turn to. God heard them cry out in Egypt. God sent Moses to rescue them. God parted the Red Sea when they were trapped between the sea and pursuing Egyptians. God provided manna when they had no food in the desert. Everytime they were in need, God provided for them. Human nature is such that we only turn to God when we have nowhere else to go. When we are in control of things, then we don't need God. Joshua was concerned whether this would be the case with the next generation, now that they were settled and living in the Promised Land. But even when things are hard or not going well, that doesn't necessarily mean that we have faith. All throughout their journey in the wilderness, most of the Israelites grumbled and complained. Even after all that God had done for them, they did not trust God. They still complained and grumbled. They still had so much fear. While they were in the wilderness, Moses sent 12 spies into Canaan to scout the land and its people. When they came back, 10 of them had very negative reports. The land was indeed good, but the people were scary and unbeatable. They were like giants, and the Israelites looked like grasshoppers in comparison. Everyone believed them and fell into despair. They even began to mobilize to go back to Egypt! Back into slavery where at least they would have work and food. Only Joshua and Caleb had faith. They saw the exact same thing as the other 10, but they interpreted it very differently. This was Joshua's response: Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes and said to all the congregation of the Israelites, The land that we went through as spies is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. Only, do not rebel against the Lord, and do not fear the people of the land, for they are no more than bread for us; their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them. (Numbers 14:6-9) Joshua had faith. If God was with them, they would succeed. He trusted God wholeheartedly when everyone else was struck with fear. How did he have this faith when no one else did? The Gift of Faith That is a great mystery. Faith is a mystery. Faith is a gift. Somehow, Joshua was blessed with the gift of faith. He had unshakeable trust in God no matter what the circumstances. He did not waver or succumb to fear. That's what made him a great and courageous leader. Because of his faith, he was able to see and experience the power of the living God. That is what faith does. It's not that God is not working. It's that without faith, you cannot see God at work. Faith gives you eyes to see God at work. Faith gives you trust that God is working even when you cannot see it. Faith gives you hope in times where the situation is dark, unclear and uncertain. And faith opens up your heart to experience the wonderful peace and presence of God. That is the testimony of people who have faith. It is a powerful and wonderful gift. Because of his faith, Joshua experienced so many wonderful works of God. His wish was for future generations to experience God the way he did. He knew their challenges would be different from his. But he still wanted them to experience the power and presence of God in a real way. He worried that they would forget about God and look to other gods. An Original Experience with God It was not tradition that Joshua wanted to pass down. Tradition is a set of beliefs and practices that is passed down from one ge

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Scripture Passage Psalm 67 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script God’s Dream by Rev. Young Ohm. The sermon script is unavailable until further notice. The post God’s Dream appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

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Scripture Passage Matthew 22:15-22 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Freedom to Give Yourself What is freedom? This question is at the root of their question to Jesus about paying taxes. Do you, Jesus, as a leader of the people, accept our submission to a foreign power? Or should we stand up and fight for our independence? Many people believe that freedom is independence and autonomy. Being in control of your situation. Being able to do what you want without being restricted by others or circumstances. That is what many Jews desired while they were under Roman occupation. But Jesus provides an interesting response to that question: Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's. (Matthew 22:21) He's pretty much saying accept the situation as it is. Pay the taxes. Accept Roman rule. In this sense, Jesus was clear eyed. He knew what the consequence was of revolting against them. It would have been near suicide. But it's not a passive resignation to the situation either. He says to give to God what is God's. What does he mean by that? What is God's? Jesus says this: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. (Matthew 22:37-38) Your heart, soul and mind belong to God. Always give that to God. You have the freedom to do that, and in doing that, you have real freedom. Whatever the situation is, no matter how little control we have, we can always give our hearts to God. This is what Jesus did and how he lived. In the end, Jesus had no control over his body and life. The Romans put a stop to what he did. They put an end to his very life. They hung him on the cross. But even in his death, he had freedom. This is what he said on the cross: Then Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands! Having said this, he breathed his last. (Luke 23:46) To his final breath, Jesus trusted God. That was his freedom. Peace In Any Circumstance My friends, it is not your circumstances that make you free. True freedom comes from letting go of control in total trust to God. It is your faith – your total trust in God that makes you free. Faith changes you and allows you to handle any situation. Whether you have control or not, faith allows you to handle it. When we lose control of our lives, it is natural to feel fear, anger, frustration, and worries. These are all things we feel as human beings. But they are very strong emotions. If we are not careful, they have the power to take control of our thoughts and actions. When you give your heart to God in trust, they are still there, but they don't have control over you. This is what Jesus said to his disciples during his last speech: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. (John 14:27) Peace reigns in your heart when you give your heart to God in trust. It's a peace that God gives to us. A peace that the world cannot give. A peace that surpasses all understanding. Peace allows you to live with the other emotions. Peace regulates them and keeps them in check. You are free from their control. This is the struggle that African American slaves must have had. For over 200 years, they had no control over their lives. Many endured brutal suffering. They had no control over where they lived or their families. They were property that could be bought and sold. They were treated as property. But many of them found freedom in faith. Through faith, they came to know who they were, and whose they were. Their bodies belonged to their earthly masters, but their hearts, souls and minds belonged to God. Despite the circumstances, they believed there was a God who cared for them. Their faith enabled them to endure and persevere. Their faith gave them hope. Their faith gave them new visions for society and the world. From this faith tradition came leaders like Martin Luther King Jr who helped change the world. The spiritual I've got peace like a river came from their experience of faith. When you are controlled by negative emotions, they will cloud and affect your thinking. You cannot think clearly when they control you. Your thinking and actions will be driven by those emotions. With a peaceful heart, you can think clearly. This is what St. Paul said: Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2) When you give your heart to God in trust, you no longer follow what everyone is doing or saying. You're able to think clearly. You are able to discern the will of God. With peace in your heart and clear thinking, your desires become oriented to the will of God. What is good and acceptable and perfect. That is a life of freedom! Reclaim Our Hearts Today, our bodies are more f

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Scripture Passage Philippians 4:1-9 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Do You Live with Joy? The words we heard in today’s choir anthem are the words of a joyful spirit. They spring from a heart filled with joy. That is what we do when we gather to worship each week. Together, we make a joyful noise to our God. But can we say that we live our lives joyfully? We should ask ourselves this question. Do I live with joy in my heart? When I wake up in the morning, do I see a bright and hopeful day? Or do I see a dark and gloomy day ahead? It can be hard to live with joy. When we look around us, we don't see much to be joyful about. We are surrounded by our worries and problems. We can't seem to find a moment's rest in our daily life. Even with what's happening in the world as we speak, there's so much darkness, violence, destruction, and suffering. So we say, If only IF ONLY everything was okay in my life IF ONLY all these problems disappeared IF ONLY all was alright in the world Then maybe I'll be joyful. Yet St. Paul tells us today, Rejoice in the Lord always He doesn't stop there. Right away, he says Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. (Philippians 4:4) Rejoice, and rejoice. Rejoice always. These words may not be easy for us to accept so quickly. We want to reason why we shouldn't or cannot rejoice. The irony here is that circumstantially, Paul wasn't in a good place when he wrote these words. Far from it. He was in prison when he said, Rejoice! He had no idea whether he'd live to see another day. He lived not knowing what tomorrow held in store. While in prison, he also heard about a conflict that happened between two women (Euodia and Syntyche) in the Philippian church. Yet in his letter to the Philippians he says, Rejoice always. Philippians is known as Paul's joyful epistle. The words rejoice or joy appear about 11 times! Paul had a very different understanding of joy. Rejoice with Recognition For him, joy was not an emotional response to our circumstances. That's how we tend to understand joy. An emotional high. It is dependent on our circumstances. If that was the case, then Paul had nothing to rejoice about. Paul rejoiced not because everything was going well, but because behind the immediate circumstances of his life, he was able to SEE clearly God's hand at work. Not just in his life, but also in the life of the community he loved. When he encountered the living Christ, Paul saw the old age pass away and the NEW one beginning. It completely transformed his perspective on life. He says earlier in Philippians I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6) In any and all circumstances, Paul saw the power of living Christ at work. And so he rejoiced regardless of his circumstances. Let Go and Trust God In our journey, sometimes it's difficult to see this. Sounds nice on paper, but hard to experience in reality. Last week, Rev. Kim said how easily we forget God's grace. He called it, spiritual amnesia . Just as we don't remember too well, we don't see all that well either. We are spiritually near-sighted. We suffer from spiritual blindness. Spiritual blindness is an obstacle to a life of rejoicing always. We can't force ourselves to see what we cannot see. It is God who opens our eyes. But in order to see what we ought to see, we can do one thing. LET GO. LET GO of our fears and worries. LET GO of our prejudice and stubborn ways of thinking. LET GO of our desire to be in control of our life. Through PRAYER, we can LET GO. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6) As long as we let these things have hold over us, we will only see what's in front of our eyes. Our eyes will be fixed on the darkness we see. We ourselves will become dark, negative and cynical. When we learn to let go of these things and entrust them in God's hands, we will be free to see what we could not see before. Scales will fall from our eyes. We will find a little bit of sunshine in the darkest day. We will see our foggy horizon clearing up. We will experience a deep sense of calm in the midst of a storm. Isn't that what Paul said? And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7) Rejoicing comes from hearts and minds that are surrounded by the peace of God. We rejoice because we trust that God who began the good work in Christ is still at work in our midst. Rejoice Always In that sense, joy is not just some feeling . It is not a mere display of excitement. Rather, it is our attitude towards life. Our way of being. It is more like a quiet confidence, assurance, and inner gladness. That way, we can rejoice always . Our attitude will not easily change according to our circumstances. Don't mistake what I'm saying as being invincibl

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Scripture Passage Deuteronomy 8:7-18 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script By God's Grace Thanksgiving is simply not forgetting. St. Paul said, everything is God's grace. He said, I am who I am by God's grace. Yes. Everything is by God's grace. I am who I am by God's grace. The fact that I can breathe is God's grace. The fact that I can have a good and peaceful sleep at night is God's grace. Living with joy and peace is by God's grace. Grace is such a beautiful gift of God and yet so many people don't feel it and that's sad. They live with this tremendous burden that everything depends on them. They don't feel the giftedness of life every day. People who experience grace don't live like that. It's not that they don't work hard. They work hard too. But in the end, they know that everything in life does not depend only on them and their abilities. They know that life is more than what they can make with their own hands. They know that life is bigger than them. So even when they become weak, they don't give up. Even when the future is gloomy, they don't lose hope. Even when they get old, their spirit is always young. That was the life of St. Paul. That's why he said this. So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. (2 Corinthians 4:16) What's going on outside is only a fraction of your existence. What's going on inside is a greater portion of your life. When you know that you are who you are by God's grace, you can live a SOLID life. You will not be easily defeated. A Lesson for All Moses wanted to teach his people this beautiful lesson. He wanted his people to live a solid life. If you can teach your children that life is a gift of God and there is a power of God's grace that will carry their life, you are giving them the best lesson of life. You are not just giving them fish. You teach them how to fish. You teach them the secret of life. They will not be defeated in life. They will enjoy every moment of their life. That is the best lesson that you can give to your children. We don't know what they will experience in life. They may experience challenges bigger than what they can handle with their own strength. They may lose themselves, their confidence, and their hope. They may experience failures. They may lose their health. But if you teach them that there is power of God's grace, they can overcome their challenges. Moses wanted to teach them this lesson. Wilderness was the best place the Israelites could learn this lesson. It was God's grace to let the Israelites go through the experience of wilderness. God wanted to teach them that they were not alone. We human beings never learn with our brain. We learn only when we feel through the skin. In the wilderness, they learned the lesson not with their brain but through their skin. When there was nothing to eat, they experienced hunger in their stomach. When there was nothing to drink, they experienced the thirst in their mouth. When they were bitten by poisonous snakes, they felt the pain through the skin. But through those experiences, they learned that it was God who provided. We can see that in today's passage. (It is God) who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, an arid waste-land with poisonous snakes and scorpions. He made water flow for you from flint rock, and fed you in the wilderness with manna that your ancestors did not know, to humble you and to test you, and in the end to do you good. (Deuteronomy 8:15, 16) God put them in a condition where they could not do anything. Then he wanted to teach them this: even in a condition where you cannot do anything, you will survive because of my grace. Their wilderness experience was God's grace for them. It was God's blessing. Learn Through Your Suffering Sometimes our suffering is God's hidden blessing. There are things you can never learn without suffering. You cannot learn humility without suffering. You cannot learn your limitations without suffering. You cannot learn that life is about helping each other without suffering. You cannot learn to feel others' suffering without suffering. You cannot learn that you can be stronger with suffering. More than anything else, you cannot learn that our life is by God's grace without suffering. Suffering will never disappear from us. We have suffering in our broken relationships. We have the pain of sending away loved ones first. There are also people who hurt us. We go through our own personal darkness. Suffering will always be there. I hope that these sufferings may not make you weak. Rather, I hope that they teach you about God's grace. Do Not Forget The biggest problem is that we live forgetting God's grace. That was what Moses was concerned about. We can see that clearly in Moses' words. When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is

The first session of Fall Fridays was great! People of all ages, from children to adults, gathered for dinner and a time of growing in faith as a community. What a wonderful start it was! The adults engaged in the first of an 8-week session on “Christ through the Eyes of Paul”. Listen to the recording here! The post Christ Through the Eyes of Paul – Session 1 appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage Matthew 21:23-32 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script A Life I Want to Live I want to live my life with authority. Whenever my final breath is, I want to know that I've done my part to the fullest. I want to know that I lived out my unique calling. I want to know that I've done everything I can to make a positive contribution to this world. That's the kind of life I want to live. I don't want to live looking over my shoulder. I don't want to cower in fear of what others will think. This is easier said than done. I know I still have my insecurities. I still desire the approval of others. But in my heart, I want to live a life true to my deepest convictions. I want to live with courage. I want to live free to love others. I want to live a life that is uniquely my own. I want to live with the power of God in my life. I want to be transformed to live according to God's will. I don't want to just settle for a comfortable and safe life. I pray that I may have the faith and courage to endure difficulties for the sake of my deepest beliefs and convictions. Different Kinds of Authority The chief priests and elders had great authority. They had great power. They were in charge of the Temple. The Temple was the center of Jewish life. The Romans gave them the power to tax every Jew in the Empire, no matter where they lived. This authority came with many benefits. The Temple economy generated enormous wealth, and these leaders grew very rich. They lived in the best houses; enjoyed the best food; and had the greatest status among all of the Jews. But this power and privilege came with a price. Their authority came from the approval of others. They became concerned with protecting their power. They were busy looking over their shoulder at what people would think. We know nothing of what they really believed. They were not driven by their deepest convictions. We can only see fear beneath their awesome power. This was their response to Jesus' question about John the Baptist: And they argued with one another, If we say, From heaven,' he will say to us, Why, then, did you not believe him?' But if we say, Of human origin,' we are afraid of the crowd, for all regard John as a prophet. So they answered Jesus, We do not know. (Matthew 21:25-27) What a copout! No courage of conviction. No courage to say what they truly believed. Simply looking over their shoulder. That is a weak and flimsy authority. John the Baptist was so different from these chief priests and elders. His authority came from no person. He was a wild man who lived alone in the desert. He ate locusts. He wore camel's hair. Many thought he was crazy or insane. But he had a power of conviction. He knew what he believed in. And people were drawn to his message. His authority came from the response to his words. People believed him and were changed. What kind of authority are we seeking? What kind of authority have we been living with? Fitting In Last week I was invited to preach at TKPC. That is the church I grew up in. It's the church that shaped who I am. It's the place I met God. It's the place I learned how to be a leader. It's the place I first felt my calling to ministry. Being there brought back many memories. It made me think back to where we came from, where we're at now, and where we're heading. The church was an important place for us. It was a place we felt safe. Growing up in Canada as a visible minority took a great toll on many of us. It inflicted many little cuts and slices to our souls. We felt unwanted. We felt like outsiders.. The racism we experienced seared into our self-confidence. The church absorbed some of this pain. We found some comfort. But it could not shield us fully. It did not help us reflect critically on our experiences. It did not help us deal with the pain to find new meaning from it. We had to find our own way in the world. To survive, we had to fit in. Fit in our workplaces. Fit in our neighbourhoods. Fit in the circles that our children needed to belong to. Fitting in became the key to survival. Many second generation became like the chief priests and elders. Looking over their shoulder became second nature. They worked so hard to find acceptance in their jobs and careers. They enjoyed the lifestyle that came from this acceptance. Maintaining that position and privilege became the main concern. In their quest to fit in, I wonder if we lost ourselves. I wonder if at the bottom of it, we are still driven by fear. Fear of losing everything we've worked so hard to build. Fear of losing enjoyment of what we have. I wonder if somewhere along the way, we lost belief in ourselves. Belief that we have something unique and special to contribute to this world. I wonder if we've convinced ourselves that this is as good as it gets. Just be thankful and appreciative for what we have and enjoy it. Just fit in and enjoy it. Do Not Hide Your Fear and Pain In church, we hear every week about how God loves us. We say amen. W

Scripture Passage Romans 13:8-14 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Owed Love St. Paul begins the passage by saying this: Owe no one anything, except to love one another. (Romans 13:8) We owe something to those who love us and take care of us. The amount of love and help we've received, we owe that back. You owe them gratitude. You owe them your care and resources when they need it. But what about people you owe nothing to? They are people outside of your circle. People who have not been a part of your life. St. Paul is talking about a different kind of love. Not loving just those we owe that love to. But loving those we owe nothing else to. This is very different from the love we're used to. It's love that crosses my boundaries. Love for those I don't feel any connection with. Loving others sounds nice. But why should we owe love to others who have nothing to do with us? Can't I just live my own life? Isn't causing no harm good enough? Neighbour The commandments are about not doing harm to others. Do not murder; do not steal; do not covet. But Paul summarizes all the commandments in a more proactive way. To love your neighbour. Jesus expanded the meaning of neighbour. The Samaritan did not know the man he encountered on the road. No one would expect a Samaritan to help a Jew. Samaritans and Jews were enemies. He expanded the meaning of neighbour to not just someone you know, but anyone who needs help, especially those you don't know. I don't think it was only for the sake of those who need help. It is also for the sake of the one giving the help. The kind of love that Jesus and St. Paul are talking about is meant to bless us. To expand our life. That is what mission is all about. It is about going beyond people I know. Connecting with those who I have no relation with. We don't owe them anything. But we go to love them nonetheless. But in the process of loving them, we become more blessed. That is what the team that went to Sioux Valley experienced. Apart from the Songs, none of us had any relationship with the people there. They had nothing to do with us. But we went with a call to love them nonetheless. I think more than them, it was those of us who went who were more blessed. We were filled. We were healed. Our lives were expanded. You can live your life owing nothing to anyone. You can live comfortably and safely with just the people you like. But you will miss out on so much in life: No new or deeper connections with others. No new experiences. Stay stuck where you are. Stay small. Loving those we owe nothing to expands who we are. Enriches life. Brings joy, satisfaction, fullness. Love the Stranger If you can love those whom you owe nothing to, then you are a spiritual person. Loving those who have nothing to do with us is the highest level of spiritual maturity. It reflects who Jesus was. But it is the hardest thing to do. It is the most unnatural thing to do. We cannot just will ourselves to love like this. There has to be a change in my heart. Something that changes how I see others. God gave the Israelites this commandment: You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. (Deuteronomy 10:19) Love the stranger. This commandment was given to the Israelites after they escaped slavery in Egypt. Right from the beginning, they are commanded to love the stranger. Why did they receive this command? Where did it come from? That commandment arose from the memory of their own suffering. Not just the suffering itself, but how God came and rescued them from their suffering. The Israelites had been through so much. Suffering under slavery. Being lost in the wilderness. Facing an uncertain future. But when they looked back, they remembered God who loved them, was faithful and had been with them. Knowing God's love for them opened their hearts to love the stranger. In God’s Love Life is filled with difficulties and suffering. We cannot escape it. Many of you have faced and still face your own challenges and difficulties. If you feel like you've had to do everything on your own, and that there was no one there to help you, then you feel like you owe nothing to anyone. But if you see that you have been helped when times were difficult, then your heart becomes filled with gratitude. That gratitude is the prerequisite of an open heart. A heart that welcomes and loves others. (KLSA story). Life has been and is challenging. Sometimes we wonder how we made it to today. But you have all made it this far. You are still standing here today. That is reason to rejoice and be thankful. Don't take life for granted. When I was on vacation: African American church services. Prayer of invocation: always thank you for letting me wake up, thank you for another day to worship you Same with Sioux Valley. Through all your difficult times, God was there to help you. There were times we were down and out. But God helped you. God provided people to help you get through those times. God gave you the s

Scripture Passage Romans 14:1-12 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Judgmental Attitudes In today's passage, St. Paul talks about judgmental attitudes. That is what I want to reflect on today. Judgmental attitudes destroy relationships and communities. This was the underlying issue in the community in Rome. Judgmental attitudes were threatening the community. Judgmental attitudes create divisions among people: within families, among friends, and in communities. To live in peace and harmony with one another, we have to overcome judgmental attitudes. Judgmental attitudes make you see only the flaws in other people. You start defining other people solely based on their flaws. It gives you an excuse to see them as less than human; treat them as less than human. You look down on them because of their flaws. Judgmental attitudes are corrosive. They erode the sense of community and togetherness. They kill the spirit of those around you. Not only those around you, but they also kill your spirit too. When you have a judgmental attitude, you can't enjoy life. It takes over you. It darkens your outlook and clouds the way you see people. The only energy you get is from judging other people. It's toxic. From Our Hearts Judgmental attitude comes from a toxic heart. A heart that is not at peace. There is some great unease and disturbance in the judgmental heart. When that disturbed heart gets triggered, it lashes out. It releases itself in judgment toward others. So the root of a judgmental attitude lies in our hearts. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. (Matthew 5:19) Add to this verse the words judgmental attitudes . The judgmental heart is very uneasy. It is insecure. It is volatile. Its sense of well-being fluctuates wildly. The judgmental heart often feels threatened. It fears losing its standing. At its very core, the judgmental person is afraid that my life doesn't mean anything. That my life is insignificant. That I don't matter. That I am not loved or loveable. In order to feel like they matter, the judgmental person needs to justify themselves. Justify their life. Justify their existence. Justify who they are. With Self Righteousness, Without Peace To survive, the judgmental person becomes very self-righteous. To be righteous means to live rightly. To have right standing. The self-righteous person tries to feel better about themselves by convincing themselves that they are living rightly. The problem with self-righteousness is that you are righteous only in relation to others. You feel better about yourself only in comparison to others. You do the right thing compared with those who are doing the wrong thing. Self-righteousness elevates yourself by putting others down. Self-righteousness does not give you peace in your heart. You are always verifying that you are more right than others. You are always measuring yourself. Luke describes this story: Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: I thank you, God, that I am not like other people cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I'm certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.' (Luke 18:9-12) Most of us may not explicitly say or pray these things, but somewhere deep in our hearts and subconscious, we think in this way. My friends, when you have a judgmental heart, you can only feel better about yourself by putting other people down. You can only be righteous by having people who are inferior to you. Self-righteousness always separates you from others. It does not make you happier. It is futile and will never bring you peace. Find Peace in God’s Righteousness You can only find peace in your heart when it's not dependent on the approval or acceptance of others. People's reactions, their approvals, what they say – it will fluctuate and vary wildly depending on the circumstances. Our peace has to be consistent and reliable no matter what the circumstances are. This peace is what St. Paul discovered. He found this peace not in his own righteousness, but in the righteousness of God. The righteousness of God is very different from self-righteousness. God does not establish his righteousness by putting us down. He does not do so by pointing out our flaws or condemning us. Rather, God overlooks our wrongdoings and shortcomings. God absorbs and takes on our weaknesses and failures. That is what Christ did on the cross. St. Paul says: God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) God's righteousness comes from love. God acts rightly out of love for us. God loves us in order to restore our relationship. Self-righteousness separates and divides, but God's righteousness reconciles and brings together. God's righteousness creates the possibility of a new beginning together in harmony. The

Scripture Passage Matthew 20:1-16 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script The Searching Landowner Jesus is talking about the kingdom of God today. What does the kingdom of God look like? Jesus said the kingdom of God is like a landowner. For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard. (Matthew 20:1) A landowner who went out early in the morning That's what the kingdom of God is like. The kingdom of God is like the landowner who is searching. He was searching from early in the morning. But not just in the morning, he was searching all day. When he went out again about noon and about three o'clock, he did the same. And about five o'clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, Why are you standing here idle all day? (Matthew 20:5, 6) That's what the kingdom of God is like. God who searches for us. A woman who searches for the lost coin. A father who searches for the lost son. That is what our God is like. This is what Christianity is all about. This is the core of our faith. Jesus, God's son, came in human form, to search for those who are lost. We can see this in Jesus' parable of the lost sheep very clearly. This story comes out two chapters before today's story. What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. (Matthew 18:12, 13) You will never be left alone abandoned. Because there is God who searches for you. We will not be lost. My friends, we don't always walk on a right path. We don't always walk straight. Sometimes we wander. Sometimes, we get lost. When I was a child, I went to this palace called in Seoul. At that time, there was a zoo in the palace. So many people. So crowded. I went with my mother and I got lost. I followed balloons and after a while, I realized that I was all alone in the crowd. My mother wasn't there. I looked around everywhere and I couldn't see my mom. The feeling of panic I got at that time is still vivid to me. But soon, I saw my mother who was searching everywhere to find me. God Searches for His People Life is not always good. It doesn't matter how hard you try, sometimes things don't work out. Even the most capable people can fall. The prophet Isaiah knew about this very well. So he said, Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted. (Isaiah 40:30) Even youths will faint. The young will fall exhausted. Sometimes we see no solution for our problems. We feel that even God cannot help us. We cannot see any clear path to take. Isaiah knew our troubled heart so well. Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God'? (Isaiah 40:27) But Isaiah did not give up. When there was no hope, when there was no power left in him, and even when he felt that his way was hidden from God, he didn't give up. Because he knew that there was God who would search for him and his people. Even when Israelites abandoned God and went their own separate ways, God did not abandon his people. And Isaiah knew that. This was his confession. Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31) The landowner did not go out to search for the best of the best. He went out at the 11th hour. 11th hour means the one hour before the end of the day. Even at that hour, he went out to look for people. This is what they said when the landowner asked why they were not working. Because no one has hired us. (Matthew 20:7) Nobody wanted them. That is mercy. That is how mercy works in our life. That is what grace is like. That is the kingdom of God. We have to experience this mercy in our lives. God is not with us only when everything goes well. When you experience difficulties, when you feel powerless and helpless, when you don't know what to do, even then, God is searching for you. If you can see that, you can see the kingdom of God. Mend a Broken Society Jesus said, Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners. (Matthew 9:12, 13) The measure of a society is how it treats its weakest members. When we have the vision of the kingdom of God, our society will not collapse. When our society is only filled with competitiv

Scripture Passage Romans 12:9-21 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Do Not Avenge These are beautiful words. We should read them daily and keep them in our heart. Paul is teaching us about how to live as a Christian. Or how to live as a good human being. These are marks of Christians. These are visible marks of being a good person. You don't become haughty but associate with the lowly. You extend hospitality to strangers. How beautiful it is to live like that. It doesn't matter whether you are Christians or not. It is what a good human being is supposed to do. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. It sounds simple and easy but people don't do that. Many times people are jealous with those who rejoice. They are indifferent to those who weep. We just don't know how to feel for others. St. Paul said to feel for others. That is a beautiful attitude. But Paul left the most important and the most difficult topic to the end. DO NOT AVENGE! Bless those who persecute you. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. This is what differentiates a good person from an ordinary person. What Paul is telling us to do is very hard. How can you bless your enemies? Those who did evil to you? How can you bless them? Our whole body protests against that. Every cell of my body shouts, NO WAY!!! At best, I can ignore what they did to me. But no way I can bless them. An Eye For An Eye Taylor Swift sang, There's nothing I do better than revenge! Yes, that is what I want to do. We can all identify with that. We don't need to practice to do that. We are already good at it. It is our automatic response when we are hurt. Somebody strikes you, you strike back. We believe that we are entitled to do that. We have the right to do that. Maybe we do. Paul is not saying that you don't. But Paul is saying, Don't do it. Why? BECAUSE IT IS NOT GOOD FOR YOU. Gandhi said, An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. Yes, it destroys both. It destroys you. And it destroys those who hurt you. Actually, Moses gave an eye for an eye instruction for the sake of telling them to be fair. When somebody takes your eye, just take his eye, not his nose and his ears. Don't be a savage. Just one eye, not two eyes either. That's fair. That was Moses' ethics. Ethics of being fair. But when it comes to Jesus, he introduced a higher ethics. You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. (Matthew 5:38-41) A very different idea and a very different standard. It was the same idea as what St. Paul said. Bless those who hurt you. Bless and do not curse them. That is Jesus' way of living our life. It sounds unreasonable. It doesn't sound rational. But I believe that there is a good reason behind that. A Vengeful Heart When evil is done to you, it hurts. Yes, it hurts. When you are betrayed, When you are back stabbed, When you are wrongfully accused, It hurts. No one is immune from the feeling of that hurt. You don't need to pretend that it doesn't hurt. It hurts. When I went to Ohio for a conference, I heard a minister telling us this story. He went to another town to preach and there he met a couple who used to come to his church. After the service, they came to him and so he greeted them nicely and talked to them. That night, when he came to his hotel room, he was covered with hives. And he was shivering. He didn't know why. He realized that he was still feeling the hurt. When this couple was at his church, they hurt him so much that he still felt it. The evil done to you hurts you. But it doesn't stop there. It often creates a vengeful heart and brings darkness within you. It does not just hurt you but takes you into a very dark place. When you are hurt, you want to avenge yourself. You feel that you have to do it. You feel that you need to release your negative emotions. So that you may not be destroyed by your negative emotions. But it doesn't. It doesn't help you. It makes you feel worse. The research found out that the revenge makes you feel worse. Kevin M. Carlsmith, Timothy D. Wilson, and Daniel T. Gilbert studied several participants about the revenge. In their studies, while participants thought they'd feel better after exacting revenge, the researchers found the very opposite. It wasn't just that punishing the transgressor didn't provide a release but that it in fact made participants focus on and ruminate about both the transgressor and the transgression more. Yes, momentarily, you may feel good because you can release your negative emotions within you. But in the end, it is not good for you. You will feel worse. Not only you feel worse, if the hurt turns into a vengeful

Scripture Passage Revelation 21:1-4 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Sioux Valley The writer of Revelation talks about the new heaven and new earth. He compares it to the old order. The old order consists of death, mourning, crying and pain. In the new order, tears are wiped away, and the things of the old are no longer. Sadly enough, we experienced so much of the old order during our mission trip this past week to Sioux Valley Dakota Nation. Sioux Valley is a beautiful place in southwestern Manitoba. They are a beautiful people with beautiful hearts. But the legacy of colonialism, residential schools, and everything else is visible in the lives of the people of Sioux Valley today. In Sioux Valley, every day seems to be like the old order of things. Everyday is a catastrophe waiting to happen. You never know what tragedy the next day will bring. There is a lot of pain. These days, there is a drug issue on the reserve. One evening we held a worship service at the local church building that's owned by the community. Some kids from the neighbourhood saw cars in the parking lot and were curious so they peeked in. Sarah went to talk to them and asked where their parents were. One girl said that her mom died so she was staying with her auntie, but she wasn't sure where she would be tomorrow. Another said her dad had died and she was staying with a grandma. And another girl with a similar story. They spoke matter of factly, as if it was a everyday occurrence. Prayer at Martha's house? Any one of these things would shake us to the core, and we would need a lot of time to process just one of these. But for so many people there, these are everyday occurrences. How can you function in such a world? We held a memorial service at the community cemetery. I looked around the cemetery. So many young deaths. Our norm these days is for people to live into their 80's at least. If they die during their 70's, there is a feeling that their lives were unfortunately cut short. But there, so many people die at a young age: adults in their thirties, twenties, teens, and even babies. There are so many health issues too. So many people there have diabetes The legacy of residential schools and other colonial policies destroyed families, their cultures, their way of life and even their bodies in the form of poor health. But the most lasting legacy is the legacy of damaged hearts A heart that is damaged cannot receive or give love properly. A damaged heart instead inflicts its damage onto others. It sees no hope or purpose What is needed is healing of damaged hearts. So they can love again. The ingredient that the heart needs to heal is love. Love Is All We Need As we began the trip, we weren't sure how it was going to go. Would people be open to us? Would they welcome us? But then an interesting thing happened: some of the first kids to come were children of those who used to attend the camp at Sarah and Joon's old church. A lot of people who attended these camps as kids came to see them and say hi, and they brought their own kids. After all these years, they still remember the love they received at these camps. It seems like a small thing for us, but the love they received has remained in them. As the days went on, word spread about our presence there and more and more people came. Door to door: you guys are the Koreans from Toronto? Our meals were obviously the most popular thing – at one point we had one hundred people come to eat. Our kitchen crew had their hands full the entire trip, and I'm so thankful for them. Jesus said the kingdom is heaven is like a mustard seed: it is the tiniest of seeds, but it grows into the greatest of shrubs where birds can build nests. Love is like a tiny seed. It is not visible when planted. But if it is nurtured and grown, it has the possibility of becoming a tree that bears fruit Love is what we all need. The kids came like magnets. Over 50, 60, 70 kids and youth. They cleaved to our young leaders, for whom I'm also so grateful. They developed the same bonds with the kids that were formed with their parents and others many years ago. A lot of Sioux Valley people move to the nearby city of Brandon to find jobs and opportunities. It's about half hour away. But they drove to Sioux Valley and back each day bc they treasured this camp. It was hard saying goodbye on the last night – there were many tears shed. Everyone kept asking: will you guys come back again? I had to keep responding: I really hope so There are a group of women who are faithful believers. But there is no congregation in the community. Speaking with these women, their desire is for a pastor who can shepherd a congregation. A place for children and youth to learn the Word of God. To hear the message of Jesus' love. Safe place for love and the Word to flourish – counter to what they see on a daily basis. They lament that there is no such place for them It made me realize the second thing that people need: the Word of God has the

Scripture Passage Romans 8:26-39 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script You Are Not Alone How beautiful these words are! So loving, so assuring, so hopeful. Every single sentence is touched with grace and love. There is not too much to add to this beautiful passage. It shows how much God cares for us. You are not alone. God is right there with you to take care of you. The Holy Spirit helps you in your weakness and prays for you with sighs too deep for words. Jesus Christ intercedes for you at the right hand of God. God the Father loves you with love that nothing in the world can separates you from. The WHOLE TRINITY is right there. They all work together to take care of you. What a wonderful news. You are blessed. You will be all right because behind the scene, there is God working hard for you. There is nothing to worry about. This is what St. Paul said. We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28) All things work together for good – because God is working so hard for you. Verse 31 comes to me as a loud declaration! If God is for us, who is against us? (Romans 8:31) If you believe in God, that absolute God is telling you, he is for you, not against you. That should give you confidence. If God is for me, who or what will be against me? No one can condemn you. No one can bring any charge against you. No angel, no ruler, no power can stop God who HAS DECIDED TO LOVE you. Even death cannot stop God from loving you. BUT THE IRONY IS WE ARE OUR WORST CRITIC. We don't love ourselves. We don't accept ourselves. So we have hard time believing that God loves us that much. No matter how much God loves you, if you don't accept the love, the power of love cannot have any effect on you. The Monster Last two weeks, we have reflected on the flesh and the evil. We saw that the flesh is our shadow self and it is deeply ingrained in us. And the evil is very much entangled with the good. We have been always surrounded by the flesh and the evil. We have been always surrounded by these dark forces. That makes it hard for us to love us. Yes, We were not untouched by these dark influences. We were influenced by these negative thoughts. We made it worse by ruminating and overthinking negative things about ourselves. We all experience failures and we all make mistakes. Instead of shaking them off and move on, we dwell on our failures and mistakes. They create anger, disappointment, fear, regrets, and heartaches within us. We have become our own prisoner. We have become our worst enemy. We have become incapable of loving ourselves. We have become slaves of the flesh within us and the victim of the evil around us. As Mena told me about the song last week, I listened to the song, Monster, by Justin Bieber. I could feel this tremendous pressure. You put me on a pedestal and tell me I’m the best Raise me up into the sky until I’m short of breath, yeah Fill me up with confidence, I say what’s in my chest Spill my words and tear me down until there’s nothin’ left Rearrange the pieces just to fit me with the rest, yeah But what if I, what if I trip? What if I, what if I fall? Then am I the monster? Just let me know And what if I, what if I sin? And what if I, what if I break? Yeah Then am I the monster? Yeah Just let me know, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah We deal with monster within us. And often we don't win. We just let the monster rule us and dictate us. And we become monster. Love Your Neighbour as Yourself Being perfect – it sounds good. But the thing is – It only leaves us with scars. It just makes us more disappointed about ourselves. We either give up or cover up. A French Enlightenment writer and philosopher, Voltaire said: Perfect is the enemy of good. I understand what he is trying to say. Perfectionism only leaves us with disappointment and bitterness. We become very uncomfortable with ourselves. JESUS SAID, LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF. It is quite a profound sentence. He didn't say, just love your neighbour. He said love your neighbour as yourself. He was saying that if you don't love yourself, you cannot love your neighbour. That is not possible. Love is like a flow of water. When it flows within us, it flows to others. When there is love overflowing within us, then it overflows to others. If you are judgmental to yourself, you will be judgmental to others. If you are abusive to yourself, then you are abusive to others. If you are gentle and kind to yourself, then you can be gentle and kind to others. Self-love is not selfishness. When you truly love yourself, you can overcome selfishness because you don't need to be so obsessed about yourself. You are so comfortable with yourself that you don't need to think about yourself so much. What you need is not self-esteem. What you need is self-love. Self-esteem is something you get when you do well and when your life is going all right. But self-love is being kind and gentle to yourself in all circumst

Scripture Passage Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script The Problem Outside Last week, we reflected on the flesh that is within us. The flesh is not just our body but it is our dark self, shadow self. We cannot get rid of it or remove it from us. It torments us and paralyzes us. Even though we don't like it, the flesh is us. It is like our self is attacking us. So as far as the flesh is concerned, we are powerless. Knowing that we are powerless about the flesh, Jesus gave us the Spirit and now through the power of the Spirit, the power of the flesh cannot control us any more. It is there within us but it cannot dominate our lives. Now we are in the Spirit, not in the flesh. Today, I want to talk about another big dilemma that we are dealing with in our lives. It is not a problem of the flesh. Now the problem is not just in us but outside of us. It is within our society. It is the problem of the evil. Jesus’ Parable To help us deal with the problem of the evil, Jesus gave us this parable. Let us look at the parable again. Someone sowed the good seed in his field. But when the plants came up and bore grain, the weeds appeared as well. So the servants asked this question. Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from? (Matthew 13:27) The world God created was good. God created EARTH AND SEA and he said it was good. God created PLANT AND FRUIT and he said it was good. God created THE SUN AND THE MOON and he said it was good. God created FISH AND BIRDS and he said it was good. God created ANIMALS and he said it was good. God completed his creation by creating HUMAN BEINGS and he said it was good. And yet, the world we live in is not always good. There is evil. There are suffering, hardships, agony, and sadness. We ask the same question. Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from? (Matthew 13:27) Jesus did not look at the world with utopian eyes. Jesus did not see you and your life with utopian eyes. He was not fooled by what looked good on the surface. He saw everything as it was. The Nature of Evil Jesus saw the evil working in this world. Jesus saw the evil working in what looked like a holy place and holy people. He saw the power of evil. He saw the intrinsic nature of evil. He saw that the evil is intricately connected with the good. The evil is entangled and intertwined with the good. Money is good when it is used for a good purpose, helping out those who are in need. But at the same time, the evil is right there and it uses money to destroy relationships and even humanity. Religion is good when it helps people to live with goodness and generosity. But at the same time, the evil is right there and uses the religion to create discrimination, wars, and bigotry. In everything, the good and the evil are intertwined. That's why Jesus said this. The servant came to the owner with a solution. Then do you want us to go and gather them? (Matthew 13:28) In other words, do you want us to go and pluck them out? The owner said, Oh no. Don't do that. No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. (Matthew 13:29) In other words, the weeds and the wheat are so intertwined and entangled that you may even hurt the wheat by trying to take out the weeds. From the roots, they are entangled. The Ultimate Victory Evil in our lives or in the world is not something you can easily or naively take out. That was what Pharisees did. They defined narrowly what was good life and what was bad. They used the law to define it. Then they separated the righteous people from the sinful people. Unfortunately, they categorized Jesus as a sinner and his work as evil. Their way of dealing with it was to get rid of him. So they crucified him. Plucking out the bad apple. Then what do we do? Do we do nothing? Just helplessly let the evil play its game? Jesus tells us one thing very clear. Ultimately, the evil will not prevail. The evil will not overcome the good. There will be a consequence of the evil. This is what Jesus said. at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn. (Matthew 13:30) He gives the interpretation later. the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen! (Matthew 13:39-43) In the end, the evil will be punished. The good will win. Keep that in mind. We have confidence in this ultimate victory. We persevere our hardships and difficulties because in the end, God will restore the good.

Scripture Passage Romans 8:1-11 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Spiritual and Worldly Life In today's passage, we see a clear contrast between the life according to the Spirit and the life according to the flesh. The spiritual life and the worldly life. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. (Romans 8:5) What does it mean to set the mind on the flesh? Does this mean to live morally sinful life? Does this mean breaking the law? Does this mean violating cultural norms? The most common understanding of the difference between the spiritual life and worldly life is. Spiritual life is living a moral and religious life and the worldly life is living a secular life. We think of it as something that you do or not do. Just a lifestyle on the surface. In today's passage, I think Paul is talking about something deeper than that. What is this flesh? The flesh is yourself. But a particular aspect of yourself. Your dark self. You can call it your shadow self. Do spiritual people not have it? No we all have it. We are all influenced by this flesh. It is not something that you can deal with by doing anything. It is not about doing anything. It is the condition of your heart. It is our dark side. It is a place we don't want to go, we don't want to be. Behind the social mask we wear every day, we all have this hidden side that we don't want to expose. It makes us feel embarrassed and shameful. That is what the flesh is. It is the self that torments us. It is not only unacceptable to others but also unacceptable to ourselves. It creates tremendous inner struggle within us. The flesh is the reason we hate ourselves. It takes away our joy and our confidence. It takes away light from us. We feel dark when we face this shadow. Unbearable guilt torments us. The Shadow We don't feel it most of the time because we hide it very well deep in our secret place. We put it in there and shackle it with a lock, thinking that it is dealt with. But just because we hide it away and lock it away, it doesn't disappear. We may repress it but it's there. It only goes deeper within us. You can never shackle it with a lock. There is no lock in the world that can lock up our flesh. This is what Swiss Psychologist Carl Jung said. Everyone carries a shadow and the less it is embodied in the individual's conscious life, the blacker and denser it is. (Carl Jung) Repressing it, denying it, and hiding it – that is what we do. We think that we can handle it by doing this. But what we are doing is just getting rid of it from our awareness. We are just turning a blind eye. Its effect is still there. The more you hide it, the more powerfully it will affect us. It creates anger, shame, guilt, fear, and a sense of worthlessness. We become cold, detached, indifferent, and self-centered. We become damaged. We cannot feel for others. We cannot feel life. This shadow can manifest itself collectively, then it becomes collective shadow. One good example is the Holocaust. It can affect the whole nation. They don't feel it and so they can do unimaginable things. It is a malady of modern society. They set fire on a person just sitting in the subway. They just shoot a person without reason. No feeling left any more. Jesus saw that very clearly. We reflected on this last week. We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn. (Matthew 11:17) You become emotionally dry. You become incapable of emotionally engaging with others. This dark self does not allow us to live an integrated and authentic life. We sense hypocrisy within us. Our smile is a fake smile. Our kindness is merely a social gesture. We are not real. Nothing matters except me. That is what the flesh looks like. That is what it means to live according to the flesh. Thing is you can never get away from the flesh. It is who you are. Your shadow self is also yourself. Your dark side is also you. Whether you like it or not, it is you. The more you try to hide it, the more it will control you. The more you try to get rid of it, the more it will make you feel helpless. The Flesh The solution is not to hide it. The solution is not to get rid of it. The solution is for the flesh to serve you, not to make it become your master. Don't give power to your flesh but let it serve you. There is a famous Argentinian writer. His name is Jorges Luis Borges. He said, All that happens to us, including our humiliations, our misfortunes, our embarrassment, all is given to us as raw material, as clay, so that we may shape our art. (Jorges Luis Borges) I think it is a good advice. Creativity does not come from only what is good. Creativity comes from both good and bad. Even our flesh, our dark side, when it is in God's hands, it changes its effects. Instead of destroying us, it will help us to be creative. It is possible because God gave us the Spirit. The Sp

Scripture Passage Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Unresponsive Numbness In just a few days, the City of Toronto will install a new mayor. This election was a milestone. The three leading candidates were immigrants or children of immigrants. Two of them were people of colour. For the first time in Toronto's history, we will have a mayor who is a racialized person of colour and an immigrant. It's a historic moment. It signifies the kind of place Toronto has become – as a city that draws people from all over the world It was also an important election because there are so many issues in the city: Acts of random violence have increased. The problem of homelessness and lack of shelters has grown. Our transportation system is facing issues. Cost of housing is through the roof. But when I think about it, I don't think any of this really mattered much to a lot of people. For most people, this news, if it even registered, was met with a collective shrug. Voter turnout wasn't terrible, but the level of emotional engagement was very low. I wonder if this is how Jesus felt during his lifetime. Jesus was Emmanuel – God with us. The living presence of God in the flesh. He came to usher in a new reign of God. He performed great deeds to signify the beginning of this kingdom. People should have marveled at these great deeds, see them for what they were – the beginning of a new era of God's good works – and changed their lives in response to it. I mean, if you see powerful deeds that mark the beginning of a new thing that God is doing, there is nothing else to do but change! But that's not what happened. Instead of wonder and change, Jesus encountered unresponsive numbness. This is what he says in today's passage: But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.' (Matthew 11:16) Unresponsive numbness: Is this what life is like today? When things happen around us, do we just greet it with blank stares? Our Hearts Are Tired I don't think that people have no feeling. All of us have feeling. We all care about things. I am thankful for the people of our church: warm, kind, accepting. I think the problem is that people are just overwhelmed with all the things they need to care about It is not that people lack feeling, it's that people's hearts are tired. So many things weigh on their hearts. Many worries. Many anxieties Living day to day takes its toll on us. Bumping up against others in our daily encounters. Being in toxic environments. Feeling lack of purpose in what you do. Going through that daily grind without end. These things leave nicks and bruises on our hearts. They take a toll. They weigh on us. Even when we want to care, when we encounter indifferent numbness in others, it makes our hearts more tired. Sometimes we confuse the brain and the heart. Our work and daily requirements consume us. Our brains get tired. We want to shut down our minds. Shut them down and enjoy some pleasures to rest our minds. But our minds are different from the heart. Shutting off our minds does not give rest for our hearts. The heart is our spiritual center. It is what makes us human. It is the seat of empathy. It is the seat of care. It is the place where hope is born and our imagination comes alive. It is also the gateway to God. It is the place we encounter God. Our brains articulate our experience of God and process our understanding of God, but the heart is where we experience God When our hearts are tired, all of these capacities are diminished. When you don't get enough sleep, your physical and cognitive functions diminish. When your heart is tired, your human and spiritual capacities diminish. You lose capacity for empathy. To care. When your heart is tired, you are unable to concern yourself with anything beyond your own surroundings. There is no room in your heart for more. Everything feels burdensome. When your heart is tired, you become numb to things around you. Instead of being inspired, you become jaded, cynical and judgemental. This is how people responded to people like Jesus and John. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He has a demon'; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' (Matthew 11:17) Jesus and John were sent by God. They were God's messengers and agents. But they could not recognize that. When your heart is tired, you cannot recognize God. You cannot feel life. Life becomes merely a string of activity with no meaning. No joy. Rest Sleep restores, regenerates and heals the body. In the same way, our hearts need rest. Rest that restores, regenerates and heals the heart. Rest that allows our hearts to feel again. Rest that makes room for others in our hearts. Rest that lets us see God at work. Rest that heals our hearts of s

Scripture Passage Romans 6:12-13 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Sin Sin – it is not a popular topic. We don't want to think about it or talk about it. We want to just sweep it under the rug. What is sin? Sin is breaking rules. But it is more than that. SIN IS A DARK FORCE THAT ENSLAVES US TO ITS POWER. That's why St. Paul often uses the language of SLAVERY AND FREEDOM when he talks about sin. Sin makes us feel powerless. This powerlessness is well expressed in Paul's letter to Romans. I am of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin. I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. (Romans 7:14-20) The last sentence shows the nature of sin very well. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. (Romans 7:20) Sin is not just breaking the rules. It is not just what we do wrong. It is not just our shortcomings. Sin is the dark power that dwells within you. Sin is the power that brings the worst of yourself. It destroys your self-esteem. It robs you of your confidence. It condemns you. It is not you who is doing this to yourself. It is sin within you that does it. It sounds like blaming sin, not yourself. That is not what Paul is trying to say. Paul is trying to show the powerful reality that exists very within us. You are deeply affected by this dark power. This dark power is so powerful that you feel enslaved. It is almost like cancer within you. It takes away the joy of life. It drives you to fear and darkness. It creates guilt within you and this guilt torments you. There is always a dark cloud hovering over you. We have noble visions, beautiful dreams, ideals and yet this dark power destroys them all. When sin convicts you, you become paralyzed and feel hopeless. The Laws By doing something good here and something good there will not be the way to deal with our sin. Trying to be a nice person will not be able to pluck out the sin that is within you. We all have laws within us. If you have grown up in Christian environment, you have God's commandment and Jesus' teaching. Even if you have not grown up in Christian environment, you have learned a moral code. You have these laws and try to follow them. These laws are good. They tell you what is good and what is bad. But having the law – does it help? Knowing what to do – does it help? When you don't have power to carry out, what good is it to KNOW what to do? It's like saying to a depressed person, Don't be depressed. It's like saying to a very angry person, Don't be angry. These laws are useless. Our conscience is not very helpful either. Do we have no choice then? Do we have to live, dictated by this dark and negative power? Can we ever experience true freedom? Freedom Freedom is not to do whatever you want. Freedom is to be free from this dark and negative power. Having enough money and not having to work – that is not what freedom is. You have time and money so that you can travel wherever you want to go – that is not what freedom is. That is Lotto 649 Freedom, not real freedom. Freedom is freedom from sin. It is freedom from fear. Freedom from worries and anxieties. Freedom from guilt. Freedom from greed. Freedom from hatred. Freedom from anger. Freedom from low self-esteem. Having enough money and not having to work cannot give you that kind of freedom. Travelling wherever you want to go will not give you that kind of freedom. St. Paul said this in today's passage. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. (Romans 6:14) Only the power that can destroy the power of sin is grace. When Jesus died on the cross, the power of grace was released. It is like a floodgate being opened. GRACE IS GOD'S DECISION NOT TO CONDEMN YOU BUT TO ACCEPT YOU. St. Paul realized this wonderful truth about God when he met Christ and reflected on him. He discovered the mysterious truth of God's grace. This was what he said. What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? (Romans 8:31) When God decided to love us in spite of our shortcomings, who will accuse us? When God decided to accept us, who will charge us? Who will convict us? Who will bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? ( Romans 8:33, 34) After saying this, St. Paul said this wonderful truth. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separ