Title: Parable of sowing seeds
Contents
Text: Luke 8:4-15
There is a saying, “People without dreams perish”. Living without hope and vision is not living. As I looked around Norway and Sweden, the welfare societies in northern Europe, I saw that there was no sense of excitement and no will to live. In our country, we lived in the ruins of the Korean War, worrying about food, pretending to have lost our dreams. So, the issue in the 60s and 70s was “Live a good life”. At that time, I was so poor that my dream was to live well. I have struggled to live and die for a good life, such as carrying out the Saemaul Undong, cultivating unified rice, and increasing compost production to live well. The issue of the 80s was democratization. During the Japanese colonial era, the word independence was an important topic that touched people's hearts. Then, what was the word that moved the hearts of the people of Israel at the time of Jesus? It was “the kingdom of God.” The story of the “Kingdom of God” was enough to shock and excite the Israelites just by hearing the story of the “Kingdom of God” because the nation of Israel, who believed in God, had been taken away. The nation that God rules was a hope, a dream, and a hope and glory itself to the Israelites who believed in God.
Thousands of people cheered for the story of the kingdom of God, and when Jesus entered Jerusalem, he shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” (Mt 21:9) Where is that? The disciples asked Jesus, who was going to ascend from the Mount of Olives after the death and resurrection of the cross, “when will the kingdom of Israel be restored?” (Acts 1:6)
The question is, how did the country come? are you made It was a question of methodology. Zealots believed that the kingdom of God would come through popular uprisings and armed uprisings. The Pharisees believed that the kingdom of God would come through the spread of ideology. The Sadducees believed that the kingdom of God would come through a religious organization. The Herodians believed that the kingdom of God would come through a political compromise with the Roman Empire. Although the methods are different, what they all have in common is that they hoped for the coming of the kingdom of God.
In today's text, Jesus explained that the “Kingdom of God” comes in three stages through the “parable of the sower.”
The first stage, the sowing stage (the planting stage)
This is the stage where Jesus, the Messiah, is placed in the hearts of the chosen few, the disciples, and the early Christians who received the Holy Spirit.
Second stage, growing stage (growth stage, diffusion stage)
“Go ye and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:18-20). What do you teach? words. It is the word of God. That's what the seed is.
The third stage, the stage of harvest (stage of judgment)
As John 8:11 says, the seed is the Word. The Kingdom movement is not about demonstrations, worldly power, power, or human methods, but about accepting and delivering the seed of the Word. This is why Christianity is called the religion of the Word. When Jesus came to this world, the Word became flesh (John 1:12).
Medieval Catholicism was degenerate by emphasizing religious authority and consciousness more than the Word, while modern Protestantism was degenerate by emphasizing social participation, reform, and democratization movements rather than the Word. Praise, prayer, donation, and social service, which are more important than the life of faith in the church, cannot take precedence over the Word of God. We believe that the path to true church revival and patriotism lies in the Word, the Word of God, and only the Word. The word is the seed. The seed is insignificant, but in it there is life, power, and blessing.
Dear members of Shepherd Church,
Today is the 24th anniversary of the founding of the church. It is the joy of all of us. I'm sure. Just as God heard Jabez's prayer and enlarged my boundaries, He will enlarge your boundaries and give you peace of mind instead of worries. Now, let's stand firm in God's word and expand the realm of mission, service, and blessing. May God's grace, help, and blessings be with the beloved members who participated in the Sunday worship service celebrating the 24th anniversary of the founding. Hallelujah Amen.