Title: Secret of Longevity
Contents
Sermon Date: 2007. 5. 13
Sermon text: Proverbs 3:1-2 The secret of longevity
Hymns: 222, 305, 304
My son, do not forget my law, but keep my commandments in your heart, and it will bring you many years of life, and many years of peace,
This is the testimony of Won Jong-su, an American cancer specialist who passed the Seoul National University College of Medicine in the 1970s and graduated with a senior degree.
If there is only a praying mother in a family, the family will surely become one. My mother, who taught us with the word of God from a young age through family worship, taught me how to serve God first even when I took my first steps into society.
It was when I graduated from Seoul National University Medical School and received my first intern salary and gave it to my mother. "Servant, this is the firstfruits, so let's give it to God first. We've suffered so far, but let's suffer for one more month." My mother said this and gave all of my first salary to God. I obeyed my mother unconditionally. Such things were so natural to us, who have been thinking and discussing with our whole family in God. Since we were raised with the words of the Bible from a young age, no matter how poor we were, we did not blame our mothers or blame our poor ancestors.
I don't think I remember ever saying "no" to my mother's words since I was little. He taught, "Your parents are also visible God." The fifth commandment of the Ten Commandments is, "Honor your father and mother, that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you." Since the word that God has told us to do is an absolute command, those who are blessed must keep it.
The Bible shows that God's love is equated with parental love (Malachi 3:17). It also shows that the authority of parents is delegated from God (Exodus 21:12). Therefore, children learn God's love and grace through serving and obeying their parents. It is a lie that children who cannot serve and obey their parents believe and obey God. Because, how can you obey the invisible God while disobeying your visible parents?
These days, I am meditating on the book of Proverbs, which is the basis of the wisdom book. Wisdom is very different from knowledge. Knowledge is a simple act of consciousness to know, but wisdom is an action of the mind to discern the truth of things and good and evil, that is, wisdom. I think it is not an exaggeration to say that knowledge in the dictionary meaning is used for books and research, and wisdom means directly used in daily life.
As I read the wisdom book of Proverbs, I find the subject in it, and in general, the subject in the sentence tends to be repeated frequently. However, if there is a phrase that is frequently repeated in this book of Proverbs, “My son, listen to the instruction of your father, and do not depart from the law of your mother” (1:8), “My son, receive my words, my commandments (2:1) “My son, do not forget my law” (3:1) “Son, listen to your father’s instruction” (4:1) “My son, pay attention to my wisdom and understand my understanding.” Incline your ear to” (5:1), etc., and so on. Readers of Proverbs are encouraged to listen carefully to the words of God the Father, keep them in their hearts, and act according to them.
That's right. The book of Proverbs is what God who loves us is earnestly saying for our comfort and peace of life. “Hear my words, take them to heart, and do them.” If He did not love us, He would not exhort us so earnestly.
There must have been a time when we were young. At that time, there must have been many times when we disobeyed our parents and acted according to our own thoughts, just like the young children of today. But, what was the result? Perhaps there were more difficult and unhappy things than good ones. Also, when I think of the past, I know that it is not the first time or two that I have been upset by not keeping my parents' words. At that time, difficult things came to me and I suffered a lot. Still, the parents were on the side of their disobedient children. It could have been overlooked. I would not have even wanted to help. However, parents did not just follow their own emotions when raising their children. When they had to turn away, they reached out their hands, and when they had to be whipped, they silently rummaged through what their children had done.
Now, I think I know a little bit as the head of a family. How much parents love and care for their children.... I can say without hesitation that the people who love me the most in this world are my parents.
Dear saints, Sometimes God compares the relationship between God and us as a parent-child relationship. There are times when the kingdom of God is compared to a family. That is why we should have been able to understand God well at home. He is telling us today to obey our parents. Obedience is different from submission. Obedience is something that is unavoidable out of fear, but obedience is accompanied by intelligence, justice, and righteousness, and it is obedience to voluntarily please. We must obey our God as we obey our parents. Then, what kind of blessings can we receive when we obey God?
1. Longevity (3:2, Ephesians 6:3)
The Bible says that if you obey your parents, you will live a long life on this earth. The text also says that obedience to your parents will bring you many harm and increase your peace. Even if you live for a long time, I hope you believe that living comfortably in your heart is a blessing. If you live for a long time and lie in a hospital bed and live each day with difficulty, no matter how strange you are, what is your blessing? Please live in obedience to your parents in God.
2. You will be superior to all the peoples of the world (Deuteronomy 28:1-14)
It is difficult to find a child who is filial to his parents and who does not do well. This is the way the world is, and the same is true between God and us. The Lord said, “Be careful, if you listen to the word of the Lord your God and keep it and do it, God will set you above all the nations of the world. In the beginning, Mr. Won Jong-su, Kwon's family, was also not very rich and wealthy. However, as a result of the faith he inherited from his mother, he served God well from an early age and lived obediently to his parents, so he became a dragon in that country village. I pray in the name of the Lord that you can receive and engrave these words in your heart and enjoy the blessings that God has given you.
3. I have peace in my heart. (Late part of verse 2)
Is it safe to have hundreds of millions of dollars? Is it peaceful if you have high power and popularity in the world? Is it safe to take good care of your body for good health? Of course, material things, fame, and health can play a secondary role that can give you peace of mind, but that doesn't seem to be all of them. Just as there are no windy days where there are many children, so also where there are many materials there are no days when the wind is calm. Are all the lottery winners happy? The higher the authority, the more people will mobilize all means and methods in order not to fall from that authority. A while ago, there was a comeback broadcast of Mo Teleent. But in order to gain his popularity, he was not afraid to lie and exaggerated himself. In the end, he was seen broadcasting with regret and tears again apologizing to his friends to the viewers.
Dear saints, Song Myung-hee is a poet. He suffered from polio as a child and was unable to speak or walk for the rest of his life. His situation was so miserable that he committed suicide several times. Then one day, after meeting God, he found peace of mind and rest. It brought laughter to him, too.
That's right. If we carefully listen to the words of our Heavenly Father, who made us, keep them in our hearts, and obey them, we will be able to survive in streams and live in peace in the Lord. As He is our spiritual Father, He tells us to honor your parents through the fifth commandment of the Ten Commandments. Keeping in mind that this is the first thing we will do in our human relationships, I pray in the name of the Lord that we will do our best to honor our parents during their lifetime. Amen