Title: Miracles happen through my sacrifice.
Contents
Word: John 12:23-24
Title: Miracles happen through my sacrifice.
It's like the first week of June. June is often referred to as the 'Month of Patriotism and Veterans'. Perhaps it is because of the Memorial Day and the anniversary of the Korean War in June. In any case, I have no doubt that the reason why our country exists and is developing despite numerous foreign invasions is that, above all else, there were sacrifices made by so many people to protect this country without a name.
A frog called 'Ranodermar' lives in the swamps of Chile. Although this frog is small in size, it boasts a strong fertility. It is because of the male's desperate devotion.
The female lays the eggs in a jelly-like substance. The male then swallows the eggs and stores them in the sac in the esophagus. From that day on, the male's suffering begins.
Males do not open their mouths for the safety of their young. They give up eating and singing for a new life. When the eggs hatch, the male pours out tadpoles from his mouth as if yawning, exhausting them and most of them die on the spot.
Sacrifice is necessary to obtain something valuable. How much have I sacrificed for the things I love?
How much effort and sacrifice have you made for the salvation of your loved ones?
Have you ever had a soul-saving passion in your heart, endured pain, and was willing to take the time to pray?
The kingdom of God began with the sacrifice of one man and is being completed. I see a lot of cases where a collapsing community rises up at the expense of one person.
We see and hear a lot of amazing miracles happening around us, saving many people through the sacrifice of one person. Today, on the first Sunday of June, the 'Month of Patriotism and Veterans', who willingly sacrificed his body to protect this country, we shared the word with the title, “Miracles happen when I make sacrifices.” A beautiful sacrifice for me and you. I bless you in the name of the Lord that the grace to be willing to bear the fruit of the Lord will come.
1. Let me be a grain of wheat.
In today's text, a grain of wheat refers to Jesus. Furthermore, each of us speaks of ourselves. The existence of a single grain of wheat is extremely rare. Once the size is small. and the number is small. So it looks insignificant.
The kingdom of God starts with small things, not big things. In Matthew 13:31-32, we see that the kingdom of God is compared to a mustard seed. Just as a tiny mustard seed later grows and becomes a haven for many birds, the kingdom of God begins and ends with someone's small sacrifice.
The same is true of God's work. God loves and delights in those who are faithful in little things, and entrusts them with bigger things. Even if I am not recognized by others, even if it is not revealed to others, I want to become a grain of wheat first for the glory of God, for the kingdom, and for the church.
It has been more than 120 years since the gospel was officially introduced to Korea. Christianity came to Korea through Missionaries Underwood and Appenzeller. But before that, there was a man who willingly became a grain of wheat for the sake of the gospel of our country. This is missionary John Thomas from England. Missionary Thomas came to Korea on a French ship in September 1866 for the sake of the pure gospel in a situation in which foreigners were not allowed to enter Korea due to Daewonwon, who used the isolation policy. Unfortunately and sadly, however, he came to Korea on September 2, 1866 at the young age of 27, but he could not even set foot on Korean soil and bled along the Taedonggang River. However, as the Bibles he shed during his martyrdom remained in Korea, missionaries came to Korea through those who read the Bibles later.
Just as Jesus became a grain of wheat and we all share in the joy of salvation, so I hope that I will be willing to become a grain of wheat in the restoration of family happiness, neighbor salvation, friendship, and relationship with colleagues. bless you When I become a grain of wheat like Jesus, a wonderful miracle of God's glory is revealed there.
2. A grain of wheat must be sacrificed.
Then, in order for a grain of wheat to fully fulfill its mission, it must fall to the ground and die and rot. It is very important not to end with falling to the ground, but to fall to the ground and die.
This phrase “unless a grain of wheat dies” is a phrase that even those who do not attend church know all too well. These words are also the title of the autobiography of the French author Andr Gide, who is famous for the book ‘The Narrow Gate’.
It is important to become a grain of wheat, but for a grain of wheat to have that effect properly, two things must be presupposed.
First, a grain of wheat must fall to the ground.
Where is the land? The earth is where a grain of wheat should be. It is a place where wheat should grow and produce many fruits.
For Jesus, the earth was this world. This is a world where there are sinners to save. That is why Jesus, who became God, willingly came to this earth in a physical body.
So, where is the land for us? It is a home, workplace, school, society, and church that reveals the glory of God and the fragrance of Jesus.
A grain of wheat must fall where it should fall in order to do its proper job. If it falls not on the ground, but on a rocky field or into the sea, the value of the wheat becomes nothing.
I myself have decided to become a grain of wheat, but if it is a place where the glory of God is obscured and the place where it smells filthy instead of showing the fragrance of Jesus, the wheat is of no value.
Second, a grain of wheat must die.
What does dying mean? In order to obtain a certain fruit, whether that fruit is success, reconciliation, happiness, or restoration of a relationship, it is what I sacrifice. it says rot It means that it is completely lowered. It means being willing to lose. It means to bear the pain.
What does the bible say? Let's look again at verse 25 of the text. A grain of wheat must fall to the ground and die. It is said that unless it dies, it remains without any effect, but when it dies, it bears much fruit.
As we know, the seed never sprouts unless it rots. To rot is to die.
But when we think about the meaning of death, it is a little creepy. For some reason, I will feel the loss, suffering, and injustice through death. Some people I know say they never buy death insurance. The reason for this is that it is unfair to die, but why should someone else get insurance money after you die so that you can eat well and live well.
Dying means that I will have a harder time and will endure more difficulties. In other words, I am willing to make a loss and sacrifice. But by doing so, it bears much fruit.
When each of you falls to the ground called Full Gospel Mission Church and rots, the church will be established and you will surely be rewarded with the great reward of the kingdom of God. The material presented before the Lord each and every one of you will build up the church more strongly and be filled with the reward of the kingdom of God.
The story of <The Man Who Planted Trees>, written by a French author named Jean Giono, actually happened in the Provence region of southern France. A highland in the Provence region, once upon a time, was a place where forests were thick and people lived there. But ignorant people, possessed by greed, cut down the tree. Eventually the forest became a desolate, windswept wasteland, and people left.
But one day, a man named Elzeard Bupier entered the abandoned land and started planting acorns. He planted 100 acorns every day for 40 years. As the years passed, the acorn trees grew, and the wasteland gradually turned into a beautiful, gigantic forest. Water returned to the parched land, fish returned, and birds returned to the forest. The most surprising thing was that many people came back to live there. The holy effort of one man who worked alone and silently created a miracle.
Jesus said, “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” As we sacrifice ourselves and die moment by moment for others, the more the world becomes, the more precious life will be acquired. When I die, when I am thoroughly humbled, when I am willing to sacrifice, when I lose, a wonderful miracle occurs in the field, and the miracle is always accompanied by the great glory of God.
Dear saints,
Do not delay or be indifferent who will be the grain of wheat, let me decide first to be the grain of wheat. Let's not be indifferent to the thought of 'God is in charge of the church of God even if it is not me'. Of course, God is responsible.
However, God builds up our church even stronger through the falling wheat called ‘I’ to the ground and dying. When I become a grain of wheat and fall to the ground, God does the work, and God does not take responsibility.
Ok. When I become a grain of wheat and fall to the ground, willing to die, God works. Miracles happen.
Why? This is because, as I said at the beginning, God is making things out of nothing today.
At church, at home, at work, at work, at school, anywhere in society, I become a grain of wheat, fall to the ground, and die in the field where you are, where broken relationships are restored, divisions are transformed into unity, and where hatred and hatred are rampant, forgiveness I bless you in the name of the Lord for the wonderful miracles of God's delight in which love and love blossom.