Title: Leviticus 19:1-4
Verse 3 and below, the entire 19th chapter refers to Israel's religious obligations to God and all the principles of human relationships in their lives. Here we can see that the holiness of Israel includes all human relationships and activities in it. Also, we can see that the holiness of Israel is not an abstract term but refers to the practice of right relationship with God in daily life and all right relationships between people. Leviticus 19 verse 37 ends with the words, “Obey all my ordinances and all my ordinances, that you may do them, for I am the LORD.” This can be said to correspond to the words that begin chapter 19, "Be ye holy." In other words, it is to provide an answer to the question of how to become holy. These are the words that teach that obedience to all the ordinances and laws of God is the way to become holy.
The root of the word "holy" has a basic meaning of "separation." When God said, “You shall be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy”, it is to be understood that the people of Israel demanded that they be different from the other nations around them. “Obey all my ordinances and all my ordinances, and you must obey them, for I am the LORD” is a message that must be taken as teaching that the only way that God's people can be different from other peoples is to obey God's word.
It is that the holiness of God's people begins at home. Respecting one's parents is the most representative act of reverence toward God. It is important to keep the Sabbath, but I do not fear my parents, and keeping the Sabbath is not pleasing to God. It is important to serve only God and not to make God in any image, but it also means that true godliness cannot be achieved without reverence for parents. You are teaching us that reverence for our parents is just as important.
Nevertheless, our society today is a society in which the spirit of seniority is gradually dying out. God's people, who have been commanded to "honor their parents," are given the responsibility to revive this spirit of path. I hope that Saemoonan Church and our Saemoonan members will become a model for the Korean church in keeping and practicing this spirit of path. Adults who have dedicated their many years for their families, for society, for the church, for God, even when they are old or retired, can be respected and dignified by coming to our church, and they can feel rewarding and happy. We want to be a church that exists. We hope to become a church that is not afraid of old age and can be trusted. We want our church members to respect adults as they fear God. Until now, there have been no special facilities or businesses, but I hope that in the future there will be facilities and businesses that can materialize such things.
Today, on Mother's Day, I hope that practical and concrete studies and plans will be carried out to make this spirit a characteristic and constitution of our church, rather than just thinking about it once and then realize it one by one in the near future. I want everyone to be interested and pray for this work. We pray that God will give us a good will, a clear vision, a passionate heart, and concrete strength and wisdom for this work.