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 Sermon > Official Service |
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Title |
Jesus the Savior |
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Speaker |
Rev. Jaerock Lee |
Bible |
Mt 1:21 |
Date |
2003-12-25 |
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Introduction
Merry Christmas!
Today is a happy day, the Christmas. It's the day to celebrate Jesus, the one and only Son of God coming to this world in human flesh to save us.
On Christmas day, even unbelievers try to find some kind of happiness with expectations for something good.
But they do not think of Jesus, the main figure of Christmas or thank God the Father, but get into more of sinful and worldly pleasures.
I hope you will have a merry Christmas knowing the exact meaning of it. Only then will it be a blessed day, not a day of having momentary and meaningless pleasures.
We will then remember this day and talk about it even when we get to heaven.
Then, why did Jesus come to this earth? It is to save you and me.
He came to redeem us sinners from poverty, disease, and the punishment of hell.
Since Adam's disobedience, all his descendants became sinners.
They were born with the original sin of Adam and have been committing sins with thoughts and actions being the slaves of the enemy Satan and the devil.
According to the spiritual law, "the wages of sin is death," human race had to fall into eternal death.
Once our earthly lives are finished, we were to be punished in hell eternally. But as said, "But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord," Jesus Christ came to this earth and opened the way of salvation for us, who used to be sinners.
Since Jesus came to this world and died on the cross for us, he who believes in this does not have to go to hell.
Now, we have gained eternal life and are going to heaven.
Dear congregation, I hope you can feel deep inside your heart the love of the Father God who sent Jesus to this world. Also, I hope that you carve in your heart the love of the Lord who loved us until he was crucified.
I bless in the name of the Lord that all of you who put this love in your heart will be overflowing with the grace and inspiration of the Father on this wonderful Christmas day.
Body
Dear congregation, Philippians 2:5 says, "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus."
Those who believe God and have accepted Jesus as the Savior should not consider accepting Jesus is the end of getting salvation, but should resemble the heart of Jesus in their lives.
Only when we have the same attitude as Jesus Christ will we be pleasing to God and God will love us just like He loves Jesus and is pleased with him.
Also, just as our Lord accomplished the will of the Father completely and went into a glorious place in heaven, we can do our duty and go into better heaven.
Then, what kind of heart did Jesus have to accomplish God's providence completely and become the Savior for all mankind? Now, we will look into the 3 aspects of the heart of the Lord.
I hope in the name of the Lord that we will all resemble the heart of the Lord who accomplished God's will completely, so that we will attain to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
First of all, Jesus did not have 'self. Philippians 2:6-7 say, "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness."
Jesus is the son of God the Almighty.
God the Father divided Himself into the Trinity for human cultivation. He was divided into God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
And He gave duties to the Son and the Holy Spirit that they would have to fulfill on the earth at the proper time.
The duty of the Son was to be born in human flesh on earth and die for the sinners to become the Savior. Why don't you try to imagine this situation? Let us say the king of a nation ordered his son to hide his identity and serve as a slave for 3 years to make him experience the life of the ordinary people.
What, then, would the prince feel, suddenly beginning to serve as a slave? When he wears rough clothes, he would probably be reminded of soft clothes that he used to wear, and when he would not be able to eat low quality foods, being reminded of good foods in the palace.
When people in low class, who cannot even be compared to his royal identity, beat him, curse at him, and make him do hard works, wouldn't he want to shout at them, "Do you know who you are talking to?"
Or he might as well identify himself and punish them. But in order to obey the command of the king, he has to give up all this.
He has to get rid of the mind that tries to set himself up thinking, "I am the prince", "I would like to enjoy this and that." Jesus' case was even worse than this. Jesus is one with God the Creator and has such great authority to control all the heavenly host and angels at His command.
He is same with God the Creator and the Son divided from God Himself, and He used to enjoy the highest glory of heaven that cannot be compared to anything in this world.
Still, Jesus was born in human flesh on this low and rotten earth, and fulfilled God-given duty completely.
He was born when God wanted, and was crucified at the time that God had fixed.
He only obeyed the Father throughout His life: preaching the word; healing the sick; reviving the dead; and as to where to go and where to stop; whom to meet and what to do.
The Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are one in origin, and therefore their heart, thoughts, authority, and power are all the same. However, they certainly have independent personality, and thus have different characteristics, tastes, and wants.
Jesus also has independent heart with His divine and humane characters, which is distinctive from that of the Father.
Nevertheless, Jesus did not have any want like, "I would rather do this", "I would rather not suffer or have hardships," or "I would not want to be mocked but respected and acknowledged."
In the same way, we also should deny ourselves completely to obey God completely.
Only then will we be able to accomplish God's providence as well.
Since I was called as a servant of God, I have never tried to set myself up.
Do you think I never wanted to be with my family, or to visit the houses of our members, listen to their joyful testimonies and have fellowship?
Our church having grown up this much, I don't have to take this rugged way where I have to constrain myself so much to accomplish the world mission.
I have the freewill to eat whatever I want and take a rest whenever I would like to.
However, when the Holy Spirit was telling me to fast, I did not say I wanted to eat. When I was inspired by the Holy Spirit in my heart to pray all night for a certain duration of time, I just obeyed without thinking that I wanted to rest.
Even when I could clearly see what kind of hardships I would face because of not compromising with the world, I never tried to avoid it if God wanted.
Even in dangers of terrorism or even in the middle of combat zone, when God told me, I did not hesitate to go and preach the gospel. I gave everything to the Father: money, fame, health, time, and even my family.
The Father received all of them and gave me more and more of His power to fulfill His providence towards our church without a single error.
I would like you to think about this carefully. When you deny yourself and give everything to God, He would certainly lead you into spirit so that you will bear fruit and be blessed.
However, sometimes, we can see that some say they love the Father and the shepherd and they work to give glory to God, but they do not bear good fruit after all.
It is because they have the 'self' deep inside of their heart.
They have the mind remaining in their hearts that insists on what they want to have and gain, and what they think is right, and that claims their possessions. This mind does not want to give everything to God. Also, they say with their lips that they are doing it for the Lord, but in their deep heart, they think that they are capable of those things, they love the Lord that much, and they would be recognized by others.
But Jesus advises us in Luke 17:7-10, "Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'"
I urge you to deny yourself, get rid of the heart that wants something back, and stand before God. Then, you can give glory to God greatly and be loved by God so much like Jesus did.
Dear congregation, the second reason Jesus could accomplish God's will completely and gave glory to God was because He had love.
Philippians 2:8 says about Jesus, "And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross!"
You know very well how cruel crucifixion is. Jesus' flesh was torn apart by whips with lead piece, and was crowned with thorns.
He went up to Golgotha exhausted and bled so much, and was hung on a cross with His hands and feet nailed.
Bad insects gather at the wounds following the smell of blood in such a hot weather.
He could hear His creatures mocking and cursing at Him. As the death came closer, His pain got worse and worse.
Jesus suffered all these things without any complaint. It is because of love.
Because Jesus loves God so much, He wanted to accomplish God's will despite any kind of suffering.
Also, because Jesus loves you and me, each and every soul who was made in the image of God, He wanted to save us receiving the pain on behalf of us.
His earnest and heart-rending love gave Him the power to voluntarily endure all the sufferings and even the crucifixion on this earth.
The reason why I could do God's works and be with you members until today is because I love the Father and the Lord, and you members.
You know that in 1992, I was suffering from so many things and reached the limit of my body, and bled to death.
At that time, the Lord asked me whether I wanted to be with the Lord or get my life extended on earth.
I used to be willing to pay anything if I could be with the Lord, and since that moment came, I wanted to be with the Lord so much. It was also a chance to get freed from so many burdens I had been bearing
But when the Lord showed me many souls who lost the shepherd and were going to the way of hell, and that God's providence towards me was not getting accomplished, I chose to take the rugged way again.
No matter how hard or difficult this way was, I could rather choose to accomplish the kingdom of the Lord than to stay with Him, because I love the Lord truly. Also, when I thought of the souls entrusted to me by the Lord, I could postpone my wish to come true to save those souls.
Since then, I have repeatedly had many hardships, but I have not come on this way unwillingly feeling difficult in my heart.
Rather, I have been always vigorous, glad, and thankful in all things not to make the dear Father feel sorry.
Dear congregation, if you love God, leading a Christian life is so easy. Also, if you love the souls with your love towards the Lord, fulfilling your duties and doing ministry is so easy.
You will be happy when you pray and worship before the Father, and you will be full of thanks and joy when you are faithful for God's kingdom.
Preaching the gospel and taking spiritual care of the members are also happy things because it gives life and strengthens lovely souls.
Then, God will be able to accomplish His providence through you. He will love you so much, answer to your prayers and bless you.
Thirdly, our Lord could accomplish God's providence because He had hope in His heart.
Philippians 2:9-11 says, "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Jesus had certain hope that after all the sufferings on the earth, He would go back to the Father in heaven and enjoy the splendor as the King of kings.
He also had the hope that, through His death on the cross, countless souls on this earth would be led to the Father and become true children.
Because of that hope, He did not consider any hardship as hardship, or any difficulty as difficulty.
It was same with me. For a long time, I had to come through so many rugged roads as if I was walking on thorns with bare feet, but I had the hope about the blessings I would receive later.
I spent each day with the hope, "After this trial, I will receive greater power and give more glory to God. And with a little more of my effort and endurance, I would save more souls as much."
And finally, I will accomplish the world mission and Grand Sanctuary, receive the Lord as the bridegroom, and enjoy happiness eternally in New Jerusalem.
Then, how much hope of heaven do you have? Is the happiness and joy that you will enjoy in New Jerusalem actually present in your heart?
Are you thinking of the rewards in heaven when you distribute evangelizing materials and the glory you will receive when you pray for the church? Are you spending your time with the hope in this way? If so, you will always have joy and grace in your life.
You will be able to lead your Christian life being full of the Holy Spirit in any kind of circumstances.
Conclusion
Dear congregation, Hebrews 3:1 says, "Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess."
The apostle Paul confessed in Philippians 3:10-11, "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead."
The apostle Paul wanted to contemplate on with what kind of heart Jesus received the sufferings and fulfilled His duty completely, so that he might resemble Jesus' heart also. Firstly, Jesus accomplished God's will completely because He did not have the 'self'. Secondly, He did His duty with joy because He had love.
Thirdly, He could endure all the things on this earth and did His ministry with thanks because He had hope.
Rather than looking at the present sufferings, He looked at the glory He would enjoy in the kingdom of the Father.
Dear congregation, God the Father has loved us as to give away His one and only Son to death.
Our Lord has loved you and me as to receive the sufferings on the cross with thanks.
Instead of the sufferings of the Lord, He has promised us with eternal life and splendid glory of heaven only.
And among us who have received so much love and grace, is there anybody who is saying, "It's too hard," or "I am too tired"?
Is there anybody who is saying it is too hard to do your duty or to lead a Christian life? Then, I urge you to think about the heart of the Lord deeply.
I urge you to compare the heart of the Lord with yours as to see how clearly you are feeling God's grace, how much you have got rid of the 'self', and how much love and hope you have in your heart.
To the extent that you resemble the heart of the Lord, you will always have His grace in you, and you will be loved by God so much just like Jesus.
You will also be able to please the Father in everything, do your duty properly and give glory to the Father with abundant fruit.
I bless in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ the Savior of all mankind that more of God the Father's grace and love will fall upon you who resemble the heart of the Lord more and more until you receive the Lord and enter into New Jerusalem. |
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