Title: Preventing Accidents
Contents
Luke 21:34-36 Let's prevent sudden accidents
There are certain things that cause the final blow and the fatal blow to the happiness of life, but it is a sudden and unexpected accident. Of course, not everyone wants this kind of thinking. However, as the word accident implies, accidents are not wanted by everyone, but are happening somewhere today. And again, as the word accident implies, accidents are difficult to predict.
And when the accident happens so suddenly that you never expected it, most people instantly lose their peace and fall into extreme fear and fear. Moreover, if the accident occurs in a foreign land, the resulting anxiety and fear may become more serious. And such sudden accidents can cause irreparable damage in a short life as they often cause physical and material damage as well as mental damage.
Of course, we do not need to be afraid of accidents because there is Jesus who can heal those wounds even if we have suffered major injuries due to such a sudden accident. And rather, if you look at the great men of faith, there are many people who have experienced sudden crises or accidents, but those accidents, crises, and problems create opportunities to further develop themselves. Aren't you and I the same in this regard? We too may have sudden problems or accidents in our lives, but have we not developed into an image that is beneficial to us and works together to achieve the good of God?
However, it is not God's will that you suffer too much from a sudden accident and lose your happiness in life. That is, we must not fall into temptations that we cannot bear, destroy our faith, and stop the Lord's work. Therefore, we need wisdom and preparation to prevent such sudden accidents in advance. There are times when people in the world give up such thoughts to fate or the seller and give up, but we who live in the presence of Almighty God have the power to change our destiny. And they are given the ability to prevent and avoid even these accidents.
In today's text, Jesus warns: “Unexpectedly, that day will come upon you like a trap” (Luke 21:34), which means that unexpected and sudden accidents can come upon the Israelites, who are also called children of God. In the 21st chapter of the Gospel of Luke we read today, Jesus talks in detail about the events that will come in the last days. In the last days, great accidents such as wars, earthquakes, famines, plagues, persecutions, and changes in the environment will occur suddenly. It is prophesied that because of this, people are so scared that they even faint.
These prophecies of Jesus are not intended to frighten us. Rather, in the last days, such accidents will happen suddenly, so you should be able to avoid such accidents and keep your peace, happiness, and life. In Luke 21, Jesus not only prophesied about the events of the last days, which was in the distant future, but also prophesied about the great accidents that would soon come at that time. It is none other than the destruction of Jerusalem.
In Luke 21:20-21, it is written: “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, know that its destruction is near. At that time let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the city go out, and let those who are in the village not enter it.” This prophecy of Jesus was fulfilled in A.D. 70. Titus, then the Roman general and later emperor of Rome, led an army and besieged Jerusalem. And he slaughtered all the Israelites in that city mercilessly.
However, some of those who heard the prophecies of Jesus at that time realized the signs of such a great accident and fled from the city of Jerusalem in advance to the mountains. And even if there were important things to see in the city of Jerusalem, he did not enter the city, so he was able to avoid disaster. However, those who did not know the prophecies of Jesus or ignored the prophecies did not leave Jerusalem, so they were helpless by the sudden disaster.
Guys, there are so many accidents lurking in this world. In the case of Korea, it is vying for the world's first and second number of traffic accidents. As a result, there are many people who suddenly lose their families and are in great sorrow and anxiety. Moreover, in the case of Korea, there have been so many accidents that it was previously referred to as the ‘Republic of Sago,’ which surprises us. Do you remember? The Seongsu Bridge collapsed, and the middle of the Seongsu Bridge suddenly fell down during commuting and school hours. As a result, many students died, and the school had to hold a funeral of sorrow and tears.
And with the loss of precious lives such as the collapse of Sampoong Department Store, the Daegu subway arson, etc., the families of the victims suffered great scars and sorrows that could not be erased for the rest of their lives. Whenever such a sudden accident occurs, the broadcasts and newspapers say the same thing. “The accident could have been avoided.” And furthermore, they often offer preventative measures to prevent such an accident.
Jesus also told us in today's text how to be wary of various accidents and how to avoid these accidents. In verse 34 it says: “Be careful with yourselves. Otherwise, your hearts will be weighed down with debauchery, drunkenness, and the cares of life, and that day will come upon you unexpectedly like a trap.” In other words, if you live in the world, you can have an accident.
Think about it. Wouldn't an accident be much more likely to happen late at night when a young woman wanders around a nightclub or bar without being at home watchful? Moreover, if you ask to have fun in the world without your parents' eyes here in a foreign land, isn't there a high probability that you will eventually meet the devil and ruin your life? In other words, the way to avoid accidents is not to fall into the debauchery of the world. It is to avoid places that are good for the devil to haunt. And always be careful.
Ladies and gentlemen, when your children leave home, parents often say these things to their children. “Hey, be careful with your car.” Jesus is saying the same thing today. “Be careful with yourselves.” Guys, drinking alcohol damages your liver. Smoking damages your lungs. So be careful with alcohol and cigarettes. People who drink and smoke will say, “Yeah, you have to be careful! From now on, I have to stop drinking and quit smoking!” There aren't many people who do. Why? Because he doesn't think he's serious enough to die yet. But keep in mind. Accidents happen in an instant. After the accident, if you say, 'It will happen then!', your name will be 'You fool!'
Jesus tells us to be careful about accidents, and furthermore, to stay awake, praying always so that accidents do not happen or can be avoided. If the saying not to fall into the world to avoid accidents is a way to prevent passive thinking, the word to stay awake while praying is a more active way to prevent accidents. For example, on Friday, when your friends ask you to drink at a nightclub, don't go along with them and say, "I can't do that...", but immediately come to church and have an all-night service.
Ladies and gentlemen, in the Bible, there is a big accident that happened all over the world. It is none other than Noah's Flood incident, which we learn in the creation Bible study these days. What did people do before that event? The Bible says: “Until the day Noah entered the ark, people ate and drank and married and were given in marriage…” (Luke 17:27) What does this mean? No one but Noah's family knew that such a deluge would happen. No, it's not that I didn't know. Watching Noah build the ark for 120 years, he expected what would happen in the future, but he tried to ignore that such an accident did not happen.
Everyone, ignoring an upcoming accident doesn't mean it won't happen, right? On the contrary, the accident will cause more damage. Therefore, a wise person foresees an accident to come. In Korea, there are many typhoons and rains in summer. A wise man prepares in advance for strong winds and floods by reinforcing poles and dams, repairing roofs, and making various preparations. We too must prepare for the devil's attack. Otherwise, you will fall when the devil's attack comes. So the Bible says: “Be sober and watchful, your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
A while ago. A robber broke into our house. I am the only man in my house, and then I have my wife and daughter who are weaker than me. Just make me helpless and then the robber can easily rob the house. The robber knew this in advance. So, first of all, they attacked me. I was sleeping and suddenly I was short of breath. A black robber was wearing a mask and was holding my neck. I opened my eyes, but I couldn't move or use my strength. I felt it for a moment. “If I were to suffer like this, my wife sleeping next to me or my daughter sleeping in the next room would suffer too!”
And I was so choked that I woke up and it was a dream. What does this dream mean? There is a chance that an accident like this will happen in the future, so isn't it to be prepared in advance? I get up and pray. “Devil who is trying to attack me and press me back, in the name of Jesus!” Folks, Jesus said the same thing. “How can a man enter the strong man’s house and plunder his property, unless he first binds the strong man? Only after he has bound him will he plunder the house” (Matthew 12:29).
Folks, the devil is constantly trying to drive me and you into misery. I'm trying to get some sort of thinking out of it. At this time, we have someone stronger than the devil and we must protect us. In other words, we need Jesus who overcame the devil. Without Jesus, our lives are conquered by the devil. Then, he suffers a major accident that falls into Hell, the place of eternal punishment. If you go to Hell and think, 'At that time, believe in Jesus, you won't have this accident!'
Me and you who live in this foreign land, let's prevent accidents in advance in the name of Jesus. Let's defeat the devil of thinking with the power of Jesus. And let's do our best to keep our happiness. Jesus told his disciples about future accidents and told them to stay awake to avoid them. Likewise, Jesus teaches us today about future accidents in advance, either in dreams, in words, or in various ways. And he told us to stay awake and pray so that we can avoid such accidents.
Ladies and gentlemen, let's wake up and pray so that husbands and wives and their families do not have accidents in this foreign land. Let's wake up and pray so that our members will not fall into temptation. When one member of the family falls into temptation spiritually or mentally, or physically and physically, the family suffers the same. So pray for your family. I pray that you and I will be able to prevent accidents and keep happiness. And in that happiness, I pray that you and I will continue to take care of the kingdom of heaven in foreign lands.