Title: People walking on a new path
Contents
Title: People walking on a new path
Text: Luke 13:24~27, Ephesians 2:14~16
Sermon: Brother Geun-soo Hong (Sunday Sermon on November 26, 2006 at Saegil Church)
I was invited to attend a meeting of conservative theologians on the 21st of last month. On the spot, the president said: This is a rather long article, but I will quote him.
“It is regrettable that whenever inter-Korean conflicts arise, the church is not able to give out a biblical voice like a church. Without suggesting the biblical path, we become partisan in an instant, speaking with a face completely different from our Lord's, and even getting excited. When talking about inter-Korean issues, many leaders of Korean churches do not seek answers from the Bible, but follow the left-right logic of conservatives, progressives, and politicians. This is a loss of being the church, an act that defiles the church, the body of the Lord, and furthermore, it will be said to follow other truths of the world. … Both theology and preaching should be able to present alternatives that can put into practice the truth of the Bible about God's peace, love, and life revealed in the cross of Jesus Christ. The North Korean nuclear issue, the pain of division, and human rights issues must also be found in the Bible.”
Going back to the previous story, Dr. Park Kyung-seo made a presentation that day, but he believes that Bush, who is at war with Iraq, can achieve peace through war, but that peace can never be realized through war, and that is God's word. He is taking a position that is neither meaningful nor biblical.
Elder Park Kyung-seo says that people like Bush are called Christians, but they are crying out for God's will, which is biblically wrong. He cited as evidence that 75% of Americans opposed the war when Newsweek last published the results of its citizen polls. This is wrong in the democratic way of thinking that America is proud of, and although it is the position of US President Bush as a Christian, it is not God's will.
This was reflected in the midterm elections, and the Democrats, who oppose and criticize Bush's war leadership, eventually became the majority in both the House and Senate. It seems that the saying that the people's hearts are naive is correct in this case.
There is a Korean proverb that says 'break the decision'. This means that ‘the man must solve the problem’, and the person who commits the problem must solve it. The United States is the one who prevented the United States from achieving unification and peace on the Korean Peninsula, so the United States should solve it. The US is the problem in Korea right now.
It is said that the United States is responsible for causing North Korea to conduct a nuclear test. In the end, everyone is acknowledging that the US is responsible for the current situation in which North Korea conducted a nuclear test due to the 'hostile and coercive policy of the US'. The one who should be resolved through peaceful dialogue is the United States, but so far the United States has refused to even talk to North Korea, making the situation even more difficult, and North Korea has even conducted a nuclear test. This is also what those who are hostile to North Korea are saying.
The United States, representing Christianity, must show that it contributes to peace and faithfully fulfills its promises. Especially for Muslims, who are other religions, even more so. And ‘Korea should pay attention to national cooperation rather than dancing to the superpower of the United States’.
It should be borne in mind that the United Nations made a resolution to “do it within the framework of international law” when it resolved the “Warms of Mass Destruction Initiative” (PSI). The United States must initiate peaceful dialogue with North Korea. The Korean government should switch to ‘national cooperation’ instead of the traditional ‘Korea-US cooperation’. Rather than following the UN resolution under the guise of it, we should seize the opportunity for national reunification.
It is fortunate that the South Korean government did not participate in the PSI but only observes it, but to approve the North Korean Human Rights Act is an act of hostility to North Korea. The Kaesong Industrial Complex and Mt. Kumgang tourism projects must continue. The UN should not be swayed by the US superpower, even if it pays a lot of money, but should be interested in freedom on the high seas and in implementing the armistice agreements with neighboring countries such as the US, China, and North Korea in 1953. do. It is a bit late, but fortunately, the United States promised North Korea that it would sign a peace treaty if it gave up its nuclear weapons. After that, it would be good to discuss North Korea's return to the Six-Party Talks, etc.
In today's text of Luke 13:24, the first half of verse 24 says, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate.” In the second half of the same verse, it is said, “There will be many people who will not be able to enter even if they try to enter”, followed by “When the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you stand outside and knock and say, ‘Master, open the door ' but the master will answer, 'Where you come from, I don't know', the words you say, "We ate and drank before you" or "You taught us in the streets." Even if you say something, the master said to them, “I don’t know where you came from. You who practice injustice, I will tell you all to get away from me.” It is true that they were all mentioned separately in different publications, but here they are just gathered together as if they were said at once. Comparing this fact with other gospels, you will be able to understand it.
This verse tells a very important fact. These are, as it were, invited to the table of Jesus. “You taught us on the street”, “We prophesied in your name”, “Didn’t we cast out demons in your name?” and “You can perform many miracles in your name.” Did you not do it?” These words can be said to be true. In today's language, it can be seen that they are 'Christians' and mean pastors and revival lecturers.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus said, “Not everyone who says ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of God.” Instead, “the one who does the will of the Father in heaven” is “entering the kingdom of God” (Matthew 7:22-23). This is a scary word. Surprisingly, people called pastors and elders, famous revival lecturers, and even people called Christians do not immediately enter the kingdom of God. It says that believing in Jesus is not enough and being a pastor or revivalist is not enough. It is not important to believe in dry faith like Bush, but only those who truly do and follow the will of Christ will enter the kingdom of God.
We will have to make a distinction between church members and Christians. A member of the church should set up an enemy in a certain church and carry out the duties of the church well. But not all of them are right Christians. Rather than being baptized, making enemies of the church, and faithfully fulfilling your duties as a member of the church, it means being a person who follows the will of God, that is, the will of Christ, that is, ‘follow Jesus.
The author of Ephesians organized the cross and the meaning of his gospel into three political concepts: unity, peace, and reconciliation. The most important of these is reconciliation.
In one book of the Bible, Paul said, “He has given us the task of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18), and in another “made it preached” (2 Cor. Our Lord even said that those who are qualified to worship God are those who have been reconciled (Matthew 5:23-24). In another book of the Bible, Paul said, “Be no more subject to a yoke of slavery, since Christ has set us free and set us free” (Galatians 5:1).
Finally, Christ made it clear that He came into this world to testify to the “truth” that truly sets us free (John 8:32). In order to achieve that freedom, our divided nation must be reconciled and reunified.
In the Gospel of Luke, which reports the inaugural address of Christ as the Messiah, the purpose of his coming is "to proclaim to human society liberty and liberty to the bound and oppressed, and the year of the Lord's favor" (Luke 4:18-19). I did. As you can see from this, we should know that all Korean Christians have the duty to complete national unification.
Now, the South Korean army alone surpasses the North Korean army, and China and Russia, which are now located in the north, are also South Korea's friendly countries. Now, South Korea is a pro-Japanese world. Along the way, ‘pro-Americanism’ is taking over. There will be no unification and peace on this land, at least until the U.S. military withdraws from this land, and until the U.S. policy on the Korean Peninsula in Iran's foreign policy is revised. So it doesn't make sense to have US troops stationed there. It is not wrong to say that if there is a war now, South Korea or the United States will commit it. Anyone who has been to North Korea will know that North Korea has neither the ability nor the will to start a war.
There will be a huge difference politically between withdrawing US troops on their own and driving them out by us. We must expel the Americans.
It is said that an elder of a large church who was doing the Y movement in Busan took turns praying for a meal, and when it was his turn, he prayed an anti-American meal. But his father is also an elder of the church, and he overturned the table and scolded him, “Where did you learn that?” The elder son, of course, was perplexed.
But then, after a while, the elder paid attention to what the United States was doing to Korea, and after hearing about it from other people, he changed his mind and said to his son, “Really, I recently found out that our son is savvy and smart. Very proud!” he said.
What does it mean to take a new path in these circumstances? Christianity makes a distinction between the new way and the old way. The old road is, first of all, the old road and the safe road. It's flawless. Second, the old road is a familiar road. Lastly, the old road is convenient and convenient for me. In the words of Jesus, this road is wide and many people go. This is a popular and widely known safe route. Are we on that new path in our daily lives? Our Saegil Church members will have to go that route. You will have to go down the narrow path of national reconciliation.