Title: The Decision of the Received
1. All believers want to receive God's grace.
However, there are many cases where the understanding of the word 'grace' is misunderstood.
Looking at the contents of today's text, we need to understand grace anew.
All. It was the Virgin Mary who was the first to hear the words, 'You who have been favored!' in the Gospels. This is also what the angel Gabriel said to Mary.
'Received grace' is God's 'special choice'.
Therefore, those who can receive grace must come into God's choice.
That choice is entirely on God's side, so we as humans say
It's an irresistible issue.
Among the many and many women, Mary, the annunciator, was the chosen one.
Representative. Why did God choose Mary? There is no answer to that question except God for eternity.
Anyway, being chosen is just a great grace.
We should pay attention to the greeting that the angel Gabriel gave to Mary.
He went into Mary and said, "Peace be with you, you who have found favor. The Lord is with you.
all," he said.
It is precious to be chosen by God, but
On the other hand, it is surprising.
Maria was at first perplexed.
'Where is this greeting method?' He even said he was afraid.
In that sense, we try to receive grace so easily without fear.
For the choice to be a grace, it must be the same process that Mary went through.
2. Mary, who received grace, had to be prepared for conflict and sacrifice
To Mary, the angel's words were so amazing that the sky seemed to fall.
It was generally unacceptable to common sense.
'How could such a thing happen to you before you are even married?'
It was amazing.
We need to think deeply about Mary's position for a moment.
Because this is usually not a big concern.
How would you react if you were in Mary's position?
This is especially true for women who have a fianc they love.
I want you to think about it from the perspective of parents raising precious daughters and children.
It would be like a clear blue sky.
But when Mary heard the angel's words the next moment, she was forced to accept it.
In this way, there must be a process of accepting faith through suffering.
This was a very important decision.
In the general sense of the world, it was his complete downfall.
How shameful it would be to say that a virgin conceived a child.
How much to blame?
It is a disgrace to the family, and if you look at the established ethical standards, you should have been kicked out.
If we were like us, he would have said that even if he died, he wouldn't do that.
However, it was Maria who took the risk.
That is why Catholics today know that they pray to Mary.
When you see people going to the church, they say, "Blessed Virgin Mary! Have pity on me.
Have your mercy on me!" I know how to pray.
We must consider Mary's faith here.
The chosen ones must have the determination to make sacrifices.
The same is true when taking office in the church.
The office of the church is clearly the grace of election.
However, that choice must be accepted as faith in the fight against oneself.
However, there are many cases where there is no such consciousness among weavers these days.
Some people mistakenly think that positions are given to everyone.
"I've been a member of this church for well over 10 years, so why can't I be a deacon or a guru?"
There are cases where that is the question.
Just as the positions of the church are given by ranks in the military, they are given with the passage of time.
There are people who do not know well. The office is a yoke of sacrifice given to the elect.
Mary, in a sense, had to make sacrifices compared to the other virgins.
There were many flat roads, so why did they choose Jesus as the object of conception?
whether you have received
3. Those who have received grace must have a dedication to giving themselves completely.
At first, Mary was so flustered by the angel's words that she said it was unbelievable.
When the angel said, "For nothing is impossible with God," Mary
gave himself entirely to the Word.
"How can such a thing happen to me, since I don't know the man?" when said,
“Nothing is impossible with God,” he said.
So far, what has bothered the people who disbelieve and criticize the Christian faith the most?
This was the virgin birth. However, in the 21st century, this problem has been proven by all scientists. In the newspaper, I read an article about a 62-year-old French woman who became pregnant and gave birth to a child. There is evidence that it is possible to have children without getting married. How could God's power not be able to handle a problem that is possible even with human medicine?
However, the party, Maria, was initially perplexed.
I felt conflict in front of the Word and expected a result that would hurt my honor, but in the end, the Word
He subdued himself before him and made him submissive. “I am the servant of the Lord, so let it be done according to your word.” Today, this kind of faith must be revealed in the actions of those who have received grace.
However, if we look at our state of faith these days, we all yearn for grace, but that grace is our own.
It is easy to think of it as allowing wishes and wills to come true.
But in Mary's case, it wasn't her will.
He gave himself up to let God's will be done.
It was not only Mary's own willpower that made the decision visible in Mary's faith.
All. It was the help, power, and work of the Holy Spirit that came upon Mary's heart.
It is because no one can accept the will of the Lord without the help of the Holy Spirit.
It is because accepting the Spirit itself has received the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Even now, accepting Jesus is not your willpower.
Those who believe without persecution and without sacrifice when they believe in Jesus do not know it.
Many people are driven out of their families because of their faith in Jesus.
There are times when you have to get out of a good job just because you believe in Jesus.
All those who first believed in Jesus in our country were such people.
Judging from the ideology and values of Confucianism, Christianity (Yaso-gyo) was criticized as a Western religion,
They rejected those who did not serve their ancestors.
So many people were kicked out of their families.
My grandfather also removed me from the family register because my father went to church.
Therefore, they were driven out without receiving a single pyeong of land or inheritance.
So it is said that they lived without food right away.
Because the brothers and sisters were pitiful, they gave up some fields to grow and eat on their land.
I still remember the day I went to weed weed by planting mixed grains there.
Sacrifice is bound to follow those who are thus chosen.
What do you see as my sacrifice for the Lord?
Please prepare an income statement once.
In that sense, we may have become too selfish Christians.
Everyone asks, what did you sacrifice for the Lord?
While I was serving as a pastor, I always felt conflicts in front of this issue.
What did I sacrifice for the Lord as a pastor?
The Apostle Paul said that I had the marks of Jesus on my body,
What are the signs of the sacrifice I received for Jesus?
I have always come to this point by consulting.
How are you?
What do you think I sacrificed for the Lord as an elder?
What have I sacrificed for the Lord when I received the office of the church?
What did you donate on a Sunday at most? When you build, do you put up what you donated for the building?
What did you sacrifice for the Lord?
If you do not remember what you sacrificed for the Lord,
Starting today, get down on your knees and pray.
Then you will surely hear a voice from God.
Mary did the same when she conceived Jesus,
How would you feel when you looked at Jesus Christ crucified?
Please think about it for a moment.
Those who have received grace must have the same pain of religious decision as Mary.
This is the pain of patience.
A mother's heart is watching her child hanging from the cross, nailed to the cross.
How was Jeong? It remains to be guessed.
I am one of those people who personally experience the pain of separated families.
A certain Kwon went to China to inquire about the daughter he had left behind in North Korea.
However, the person who stopped the guide made the mistake of pointing out that it wasn't him, so we didn't meet each other
It is said that he thought of Mary while he went to the prayer center and prayed because his heart was so distressed, frustrated, and empty.
Mary saw her son die on the cross,
How severe was the pain? As I feel
I have heard that you have overcome the sorrow and suffering of your heart.
When the decision of the person who has received grace through this religious decision is required,
We too must imitate Mary's faith.
An example of a believer who can glorify God to this day by taking such a sacrifice
I think this has happened. Hopefully we will all have these decisions of faith. ♣