Title: Happy Church / Matthew 9:35-38
Content Victor Hugo (1802-1885), a world-renowned French writer, sat on the tip of a slender tree branch and watched a singing bird, saying, “A bird sings because it feels the branches sway, yet knows that it has wings. can be called." Today is the first Sunday of our church's 44th anniversary in the new millennium. In the past half century of Korean history, there have been many times in the midst of the pain of division and the Cold War, like a swaying branch. Nevertheless, I am grateful to God, thinking that the reason we are able to grow up like this today and be able to rejoice and give thanks together is because of the devoted service of the seniors and all of you who have lived by that faith, looking only at the Lord.
I. A happy church is a church that fulfills its original mission
The church is to grow when it is faithful to its original mission and duty. This is because the Holy Spirit is working through the original work of the church. All the programs of the church are nothing more than ministries designed to fulfill this duty. And it should help you in this ministry. The educational ministry of the teaching of the church is character education and spiritual education rather than intellectual education, technical education, and speculative education. This is Heavenly Citizenship Education that aims to make people live as little Jesus and become first-class citizens. It is an education that makes Christian spirituality grow and live like Jesus. Sometimes there are even bonsai members. It is a church that does not grow even after the years pass. Bonsai members who are old enough to eat but not grow up and still look like children. The fact that our church puts an emphasis on education is recognized by others. However, on this day, we may need to think about whether our church is truly living like Jesus.
This means that we need to reflect on whether we are faithful to the church's original ministry of preaching the gospel and healing each other's wounds with the power of the Holy Spirit, in the ministry of language, action and service. Language is not just words. There is a language of action, there is a language of expression, there is a language of eyes, and there is a language of life. A true church is a church that trains us to forgive, love, and heal our neighbors through our expressions, actions, and glances.
II. A happy church is a church that is happy only with the love of Jesus.
In verse 36, Jesus said, “When he saw the crowd, he was moved with compassion, because they were troubled and lost, like sheep without a shepherd.” How desperately are the words of Jesus' love expressed? A happy church is a church where you feel love and happiness for some reason when you enter the church and give thanks. The size, facilities, and programs of the church do not make the members happy, but it is possible when you feel the sincere love of Jesus from your fellow members.
III. A happy church is a church that obeys each other centering on Jesus.
In verses 37 to 38 of the text, the words of calling the workers centering on Jesus. A church that has gathered as servants of the Lord in obedience to the call of Jesus is truly a happy church. What kind of church is a Jesus-centered church?
First, Jesus commands his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few... Send out workers for the harvest..." As such, a Jesus-centered church is a church that is open to anyone. A good church, a truly happy church, is a church that invites and invites everyone, including the poor, the sick, the intellectual, the illiterate, men and women of all ages, to work equally. Those who come late, those who come early, those who come at 9 or those who come at 5 PM, a church that works freely centered on Jesus and receives rewards from the Lord is a happy church.
Today we hope to see God in our midst, rejoice, give thanks, and praise Him. A woman was making clothes with cloth, and her daughter was playing with pieces of torn cloth. After a while, the child disappeared and went out to the backyard to look for it, and he found a piece of cloth attached to the end of a stick, put on the lawn, and danced around it. "Son, what are you doing?" asked the child, "If I dance around here with a flagpole like this, God will see me from the sky and come down here and dance with me..." is to answer. The daughter was dancing a beautiful dance with her imagination in the blue sky, thinking that God was looking down on her.
Our God is here now. He is with us singing and rejoicing. And on this delightful day, God wants to rejoice by holding our hands and dancing like a little girl wishes. I hope that you will be able to dance and rejoice with God. In this way, the saints who live dancing with God are the people who will be blessed and the people who are happy. And the church where these people gather is a really good church and a happy church. On this birthday, I hope that you will be members of the Dongshin Church who dance with God, rejoice in it, and glorify God.