Title: Joy and Grace
joy and grace
2006-02-01
I. background of the text
II. Macedonian plight and devotion
A. Trouble
The Macedonian church was a church that experienced many tribulations and trials. It was also a poor church. To the extent that Paul describes it as ‘extreme poverty’ in the text. On the other hand, the Corinthian church was a materially prosperous church based on an urban base where trade was active and culture prospered. But there was no sincere heart toward God. To this Corinthian church, Paul urged them to make a donation not only with material things, but also with the heart. As an example of the Macedonian church, this emphasized what he gave his heart in the midst of tribulation and trials.
B. Commitment
Consecration to God is a holistic life. A large, temporary offering simply cannot be the real thing. It is not something that can be achieved at once. Regardless of their circumstances, those who have always lived with an attitude of service can devote themselves without hesitation even in times of hardship.
In the text, Paul refers to the devotion of this church and mentions that it was a ‘rich genealogy’. Soon, it was an overflowingly devoted church. We can see through this church that we do not serve God because we are rich in the environment, but if we truly love God even in the midst of hardship, we can do this fragrant service that is acceptable to God regardless of the circumstances. will be.
You can serve God even if you are poor, but the saying that you must be poor to serve God does not hold. In addition, it is also not possible to fully serve God only if one has suffered trials. Therefore, it cannot be said that this Macedonian church was able to serve so abundantly because it was in such a difficult situation.
It is not easy for joy and sorrow to coexist in one human being. In most cases, great joy drives out sadness, or vice versa. But in the spiritual world, the coexistence of the two is a surprising mystery. Let's look back on the past days of grace. You will find that there is a strange formula that the people of this world cannot understand. There were times when I was full of joy because of the Lord, but also times when I was sad and shed many tears at the same time. The grace of the Lord that came down from heaven was so great and wonderful that I felt joy, and on the other hand, I was saddened at the same time for not being able to meet God's expectations of receiving it for free. This is the coexistence of sadness and joy that the world cannot understand. This is what is in the believer.
When a church is subjected to many insults and trials, the believers grafted into it share in that suffering. Although they suffered much from extreme tribulation and trials, inner temptations and material poverty, they possessed an abundance of joy. Even in the midst of such extreme hardships, they learned how to overcome them by relying on Jesus Christ. This is the wisdom of God running his church. The same is true of believers.
For his children, God disciplines them for training and leads them to refinement, but there is no retaliation for wrongdoing. Likewise, there is a church that undergoes many refinements because God has a special plan. Although the Macedonian church was a church that received God's love a lot, it suffered many trials while being much poorer than the Corinthian church. However, through such severe suffering, he led the church as if he was making pure gold.
Blessings are not comfortable. When God actively leads the church and believers according to his purpose, it is a blessing and a joy. Therefore, the Corinthian church, which was materially rich but did not fully turn to God, had to learn the Macedonian church, which was always full of joy despite these trials. If so, what was the cause of their abundant service even in such a difficult situation?
Ⅲ. The Source of Joy: Grace
God's grace was constantly poured out on the Macedonians, and this is in other words the influence of God's love. In this way, those who have received grace are moved by God's love. In addition, there is a sense of self that you do not deserve the love you deserve. In the midst of this, a desire to give oneself to God arises. This is what we need to pray before God today. When God gives us many graces, inspires us, and allows us to live in such a way that we are moved by God's grace, we can live a life of service like this church.
Therefore, we should not put hope on our circumstances and circumstances, but on our relationship with God. Let's not wait for someday to be like that. Whenever we humble ourselves and sincerely ask for grace, God pours it out. He wants to serve God in spite of extreme poverty and trials, but He is not a God who will not pour out Him. When you earnestly cling to God's grace to give you joy, and to live your life with the taste of God's people through that grace, God will surely answer you.
The key is God's grace. In this way, in the midst of a nameless church that is very poor and has faced many trials and tribulations, God has poured out His grace to become a church full of joy. That is why he received the glory of God by allowing him to do great things that the affluent church could not do. Even if our circumstances and circumstances are the same as those of the Macedonian church, we must have hope.
Our need is so that we may taste the riches in Christ, and our sufferings and trials are so that we may see God's glory. We earnestly hope that we will become saints who can live a life of abundant grace, overcome hardship and poverty, and continue a life of joy. 2006-02-01