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 Sermon > Sunday Morning Service |
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Title |
God the Father''s Justice(2) - God the Father''s Justice (2) |
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Speaker |
Rev. Jaerock Lee |
Bible |
Psalm 37:6 |
Date |
2016-12-25 |
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Passage
[Psalm 37:6]
"He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgment as the noonday."
[Introduction]
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Merry Christmas! Let us celebrate the birth of Jesus! When there is somebody who has a birthday, we celebrate and bless them and spend a pleasant time sharing food together. Today is more blessed and joyful day than any other birthday. It's because it's the birthday of our Lord Jesus.
As in Luke 2:14, there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God. They said, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."
In this world, they have a Christmas party without the main figure. They might enjoy themselves for a moment, but they will be left with vanity. But you are enjoying true peace and happiness in this place of blessing, where the Lord is with us. How blessed are we?
I believe you were blessed by the message and performance in the Friday night service. And I will continue to deliver the second part of the message with the title, "God the Father's Justice." May you be filled with the joy and happiness of the Christmas like the sound of praise of the heavenly host and angels, I pray this in the name of the Lord!
[Main]
Dear brothers and sisters, what is the reason that Christmas is such a joyful and happy day?
As I explained in the previous session, it's because Jesus fulfilled the Law with love. Through that act, He reconciled God and us. Law is something good in the original sense, but it became like a shackle as people's hearts were stained by evil. It became something fearful because there is the fear of being punished unless it is kept. So, in the Old Testament, which was governed by the Law, God was far away from the people.
But somebody let us keep the Law with our love for God. He is Jesus. Jesus came as the Light and revealed all the dirty and filthy things that were hidden in the darkness. If that was everything Jesus did, we'd have had a hard time leading a life in faith and being constantly condemned. But Jesus did not only reveal the sins of the world according to the standard of justice. He also solved the problem of sin with love and sacrifice.
And for this, as I explained in the previous session, He paid the price for our sins.
He paid the price with all His life. He filled up the measure of justice that we had to fill up. So we realized the love of God in giving us the Law and we came to keep it with joy. In essence, God is saying, "I'm not telling you to abide by the Law to condemn and punish you when you violate it, but to give you blessings, eternal life, and Heaven. If you find it difficult to keep it, I'll give you strength even by sacrificing my only begotten Son."
God's heart is only love, as said in John 3:17, "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him." Those who feel this heart of God through the sacrifice of Jesus, no longer feel it's burdensome to live by the Word of God, but rather, they'd feel happy and blessed. This is the reason why we rejoice over the coming of Jesus.
Brothers and sisters,
Jesus did not only pay the price on our behalf but also He kept the Law Himself as well.
Namely, He came to this earth in a human body just like ours, and set the example of keeping the Law. In fact, Jesus did not have to keep the Law as we do who are within the physical limitations. Above all, Jesus does not have the willingness to violate any Law of God, and thus He didn't have to be bound by the Law. And yet, Jesus kept the Law of God more strictly than anybody.
We can see how perfectly Jesus kept the Law by considering the two greatest commandments. What are the two greatest commandments? In order to test Jesus, a lawyer asked Jesus what the greatest command among all commandments was. Jesus replied in Matthew 22:37-40, '"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."
Then, how did Jesus love God?
He only obeyed with 'Amen' and with joy until He was humbled completely. It's just as 2 Corinthians 1:19 latter part says, "[For the Son of God, Christ Jesus,] was not yes and no, but is yes in Him." Jesus was executed on the cross, where only heinous criminals were executed. If He could obey in this way, what would He not obey with an 'Amen'?
God commanded Him to forsake heavenly glory and go down to the earth and told Him that He would be born in a manger and live a poor life. Yet He just obeyed with Amen. Does it seem very easy?
But people feel uncomfortable if they have to move to a smaller house; even worse, they even feel miserable. Jesus used to enjoy the highest position on the right hand side of God and He received all the services of the angels. And it's not something easy at all for Him to come down to this corrupt, physical world, which is filled with sins and evil.
Furthermore, Jesus did not just live an ordinary life on this earth. He was considered a poor and lowly man, and even a sinner who deserved death. And yet, He only took joy that He was fulfilling the will of God. It's as said in John 4:34, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work." It's because Jesus loved God with all His heart, with all His soul, and with all His mind.
Brothers and sisters,
What is the reason that Jesus came to this lowly earth and lived His life in the ways of a servant? It was to show that we could also love God as He did. We can all live like Jesus.
For the past 6 years, since 2010, God let all my life-force drain and let me reach the threshold of death many times. It's because the measure of justice had to be filled in order to save numerous souls at the end time. So I obeyed with Amen. The duration was extended, and yet I was thankful that more souls could get the chance of salvation. It's because I know it is God's will for many souls to be saved and to become God's true children.
Like Jesus, my only hope in life is also to fulfill the will of the Father God completely. Jesus showed us that we can do even seemingly very difficult things if we just love God. I pray in the glorious name of the Lord Jesus Christ that you will all take after this example of Jesus and obey the words of God all the time.
Dear brothers and sisters,
Jesus came to this earth in human body and set an example of keeping the Law of God. First, I talked to you about how He loved God.
Now, secondly, how did Jesus love the neighbors as Himself?
Namely, how did He keep the second greatest commandment? He stayed with His beloved souls. Namely, even though He is the King of kings, He did not live in a royal palace. He lived with the souls and shared not just joy but also agony and pains.
He did not neglect the people's sorrow and pain that were caused by their sins. Matthew 14:14 says, "When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick." As said, He healed the sick people. He fed the hungry, too. Matthew 15:32 says, "And Jesus called His disciples to Him, and said, 'I feel compassion for the people, because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way.'"
And for those who were in mourning after having lost their family members, He revived a beloved daughter, a son, or a brother and gave them back to their families. One day He was going to a city called Nain. He saw a widow who had lost her only son was weeping while following those who were carrying the body. He said in Luke 7:13, "When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, 'Do not weep.'"
Jesus also gave the hope of heaven and the freedom of truth to those who were oppressed and hopeless. After all, He received the cruel punishment of crucifixion in the place of the souls that would have otherwise had to be punished forever due to their sins.
Dear brothers and sisters,
You and I have also received this love of the Lord. I shed tears of despair and loneliness while I was on my sickbed for 7 years. But I was revived by this love of the Lord. The Lord had mercy on me and came to me first while I was only waiting for my death. I cannot forget His love. I also remember the sorrow and pains I had before I met the Lord.
And for this reason I could share the pains with the church members since I became a pastor. If there was any sick person, I wanted to heal them. If anybody was neglected and had a hard time, I wanted to encourage and strengthen them. For those who lost hope of life, I wanted to give them the hope for the heavenly kingdom.
That is why I was with the believers all the time; not just when preaching in the church but also on the way. I stretch out my hands to hold the hands of the believers. I gave out to the believers even my residence and the prayer house where I communicate with God.
I was happier when I was helping the believers and taking care of the churches in difficulties rather than when I was spending for myself. Also, if a sinner laid down the burden of sin and repented through my mourning, prayer, and fasting, I was happier than ever. Sometimes, I was having such a hard time that I couldn't even sense whether it was day or night, but when I heard a sinner turned from sins, I was suddenly strengthened. When I heard about each soul who came on to the rock of faith and into spirit and whole spirit, I gained strength like a miracle.
In Philippians 1:8, the apostle Paul boldly said, "For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus." I can also boldly say as follows: "God is my witness, how I long for the members of Manmin and those of you who are attending this service, with the affection of Christ Jesus."
And how much more would Jesus love us, for He came down to this lowly earth for us? And on this day when Jesus came to this earth, how can we not rejoice, and how can we not give thanks to Him? With this joy and thanksgiving, I hope you will also deliver the joy of the Christmas to your neighbors. I also pray in the name of the Lord that you will share the joy and pain together with your neighbors and the believers entrusted to you.
[Conclusion]
Dear brothers and sisters,
John 13:3-5 is a scene where Jesus washed His disciples' feet. It says, "Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded."
Imagine that you are there. How touched would you be if Jesus would wash your feet? You wouldn't be able to help yourself from loving Him even more. You'd be so thankful that you'd try to circumcise your heart and not commit sins. Also, you'd fulfill your duties faithfully and passionately to spread His love to other souls. You'd humble yourself and serve everyone.
Jesus came to this earth in the same human body as ours and kept the Law. He showed the love of God contained in the Law. I hope you who have received this love will resemble Him and keep the words of God. From this Christmas day, may this love of the Lord overflow in our church, in your families, and in your neighborhoods, I pray this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas!! |
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