Title: Love has no weight (February 1)
Content span id="writeContents">◆ Main text: Genesis 21:14-19
I haven't been able to stand on the pulpit for a month in January, and you sometimes tell me that. Just standing at the pulpit is a blessing, so they say just stand there, but the pulpit is the word. I hope these words will be of grace today.
Our missionary, Jong-Kwon Park, who went on a mission to China, returned to Korea for a month and went back last week. This is the story I heard when the missionary was there. My mother-in-law had back surgery and was unable to walk properly, but she came and carried her grandson Noah. And then at night, it is so hard that I moan and cry. The missionary got angry and had surgery on his back, so he couldn't use it properly, so he asked why he was carrying a child like that. But, strangely, she said that she did not understand how heavy it is when carrying her grandson.
As I listened to that story, I picked up the title of today's sermon.
“Love has no weight.”
Love is something that cannot be measured by mathematical formulas. Anyone who has raised children will make this confession.
Today's verse is a verse you are familiar with. Abraham was chosen by God and was fulfilling the promises of blessing one by one. Ladies and gentlemen, the choice is a blessing, and the blessing gives us hope. So, as I started this year, I said, “Let our church members see hope this year. let's say hope Let’s live with that hope.” I said something like that.
Many blessings came to Abraham, but one thing that was not fulfilled was that he had no children. But he is already 100 years old and his wife Sarah is 90 years old. This is a situation that cannot even be dreamed of. There is only one problem that doesn't work. But to be called a man of God is to say that he does not leave behind this one problem.
“In a hundred years you will have a son. It didn't sound like a word. Sarah laughed when she heard the story. To say that laughter is a ridicule. ‘Even God speaks nonsensical words,’ he scoffed. Then God saw them laughing and said so.
“The meaning of your laughter will change. You will laugh with a happy smile, as sneering laughter will be brought into your life.”
I hope that it will be a good month for you, dear saints who start February, where God makes you smile even if there are any remaining problems. So Isaac was the son Abraham bore when he was 100 years old. But the truth is that Abraham already had a son. Since he had no children, he had a son named Ishmael through his maidservant Hagar. In today's world, both the son and Isaac are treated the same, but at that time the son thus obtained was not treated as a human being.
Although Ishmael was not treated like a human being, Abraham loved him very much because he was the only child. But after Isaac was born, the father's heart began to change. Even though Ishmael is a child, it hurts my heart. The same goes for her mother, Hagar. So, they scolded and cursed Isaac, who was born late. Later, because of it, he was angered by his father and was driven out. Instead of being driven out, they were sent out into the wilderness.
He takes a leather bag full of water and sends the son out. What it means is that if this water falls from the desert, you will die. This was not only Abraham's will, but God allowed him to do so. Hagar's pain as she left with her son could not be put into words. After going for a while, he couldn't beat the heat, so he gave his son a sip of water. But Hagar does not drink water. Because when the water falls, my son dies... … .
After a while, when the son is thirsty again, he gives him a little water. My mother was also thirsty. But love prevents him from drinking water. Later, the water eventually ran out. Hagar weeps and tears before God as she looks at her son who is suffering and collapses. According to today's Bible, it was said that he did a bangseongdaegok.
Ladies and gentlemen, these tears are not only the tears of Hagar, but also the tears of us raising children. Aren't you crying like that for your children? We received such love, and we live our lives loving our children that way. But the strange thing is that God, the God who created this world and the God who runs everything in this world, who never changes His will, heard Hagar's amazing cries and changed His will.
Ladies and gentlemen, there is a way to change God's heart in the Bible. It is in the Bible that I change the fate of my children. Just cry like Hagar. People of faith need these tears of prayer. cries out loud Then God saw the tears and opened Hagar's weeping eyes so that she could see a spring of water. What springs are there in the desert? It is God's grace. He drinks water from the spring and drinks his son's neck. How many tears of joy did Hagar shed as she wet her lips with water? A person of faith has these two tears. Sometimes there are amazing tears, and there are times when I cry because of God.
“I will make you the head of a great nation.”
Gentlemen, the ancestor of the Arabs is Ishmael. Arabs also serve their supreme ancestor as Abraham. However, the difference from the people of Israel is that after Abraham, the Israelites talk about Isaac, but the Arabs talk about Ishmael after Abraham. This mother's tears, who changed God's heart, made him the father of a nation.
It was when I went to the Dobong region and held a revival meeting. Whenever I lead a meeting, when the Holy Spirit works strongly, especially at meetings where cancer patients are healed, I suffer more than I can handle for almost 10 minutes. It was so hard, “God, I don’t want to hold a meeting like this.” Even then, when I saw the miracle of a dying person coming back to life, I was grateful for the difficult pain. I have endured such pain for over 20 years.
I went to the Dobong region and stood right at the pulpit to preach, and the Holy Spirit works strongly. If there are no other sermons and the first word says what kind of sermon it was, “Don’t do that. Don't do that. Don’t do that.” These three words. This is not a prepared sermon. The Holy Spirit worked strongly. “Don’t do that. Don't do that. Don’t do that.” As these three words fell, a young woman sitting behind me got up and wept and wept. Then he said that he had to bear his testimony as he came out.
He met a good man and got married happily. I have a dream and have a family. He was a husband whom he loved so much and was so proud of, but when he got married, he was an alcoholic and a gambler. Still, because I love him, I endured three years, hoping that my husband would change. But my husband, who I thought would change like that, didn't change. He robbed me of everything in the house, gambled and drank. Then I gave birth to a son, and now I can't stand it. There was no way to live.
All the members of the church were moved and wept at that moment rather than the ten-hour meeting. That's right. Why is faith a blessing? Who in the world does not carry a heavy burden? Everyone has a heavy burden. I cry because it is so hard because I have a burden I cannot bear. However, there are some promises from God to those who have faith.
“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden. I will give you rest.”
Everyone, everyone who is listening to this sermon today, let's lay down the heavy burdens you are carrying before Jesus. Let's leave it to him. Why is he carrying my burden? Because I love you, you carry my burden. It is saying that because of love, He does not know that it is heavy and carries my burdens. The same God who relieved Hagar's heavy burden today will also lighten our burden.
Last week, I heard a moving story through our butler. The butler witnessed a car accident while on the road. Suddenly, a car accident happened, and the mother and young son in front were hit by a car and thrown away. The bloody mother, without even thinking that she was hurt, hugged her son and said so to those around him.
“Where is the hospital?”
“Can’t you see it in front of me?”
The bloody mother ran to the hospital, hugging her son to see where he got that strength. When our butler saw him, he couldn't just go, so he followed after him, but he went to the hospital with his son covered in blood, and saw his son entering the operating room, and he collapsed on the spot. And the mother died on the spot. The butler weeps when he tells me such a story. “I guess that’s a mother’s love.”
Guys, do you only love special people that much? Isn't that your story? We may die for our children. You can do anything because you love your children. Even if I can't eat, my children do. Even if I don't wear nice clothes, I put nice clothes on my children. Such love, where did that love come from? It comes from the love of God. We live with that kind of love.
How do you live happily in this world? Weep with Hagar. Pray in tears. Ishmael will be the next great person, and the joy of a mother watching her son do well, her laughter will be your joy, your laughter. Because we love, I carry my husband's burden. Because I love you, I bear my wife's burden. Everyone, you have to carry your luggage together. Then the burden will be lighter.
The Bible speaks of a love that does not feel heavy because it is in love and does not feel the weight. “As long as you have this love, you will be happy. Watching that love, I will give you the beautiful results of that love.” I hope that this precious love you are talking about will come true in your life so that you can lighten your burdens and live in the world. With this love, I earnestly pray that you will become beloved saints who can make your family happy with faith. We will pray together.
“God, I bear my husband’s burden. I carry my wife's burdens. I bear the burden of my children. because I love you… … . I live with this burden because I love you. I thought I was the only one who felt heavy, but I thank Jesus for carrying this heavy burden on me. Because of Jesus, I live a heavy life lightly. Lord, help me to become a happy family by living with this love. I earnestly pray in the name of Jesus. Amen."