Title: The Disciple's Path
Even good things and salt, if they have lost their taste, with what shall they be seasoned? They are of no use, neither for the soil nor for manure, so they are thrown away.”
According to statistics, I have read that men in their 40s in Korea have the highest mortality rate these days. This is because, in the Korean context, Korean men have to compete so much that there are many cases of sudden death due to excessive stress. In fact, I think Korean men these days are too heavy burdens.
Moreover, considering that the people in their 40s and 50s who are most stressed in the social atmosphere of restructuring these days are not coincidental.
This is what I heard last week.
A father in his mid-40s, who was working as a senior executive at a company, suddenly died and had an autopsy, which was discovered by the autopsy doctor.
This man suddenly had a heart attack and died suddenly. There were no other abnormalities, and he died clutching his left hand. When I opened my hand, I found that there were two hwatu papers in my hand, one of which was 3 kwang and the other was 8 kwang.
I'm not sure, but those of you familiar with this area will know what that means. As I learned later, this person got involved in the game and lost everything, so I finally played a 3x Hanafuda. If you win, you get three times, and if you lose, you get three times as well. It was a life-threatening adventure, but he returned to himself and said that two cards came in as soon as they were held in his hand.
So I was so excited that I suddenly collapsed and was taken to the hospital, but the truth is that he died of a heart attack, unable to wake up forever. How excited would it have been to have a heart attack? I can't help but be excited because I risked my own fate in the last round. In the end, it is said that excessive greed caused the death of this young forty-year-old.
If you look at all the diseases that are happening these days, in most cases stress is the cause.
If we analyze the causes of stress, there are many cases that come from excessive obsession and excessive greed. There are many cases of excessive greed that it would be nice if we could live without greed. Even if you throw away your greed and empty your mind, even the diseases that can be cured cannot be thrown away, so stress builds up and leads to a major illness.
Today's message is to the disciples.
People of faith who depend on God and confess Jesus Christ as Lord are disciples who follow the Lord in a broader sense. Literally, it means the 12 disciples of Jesus, but in a broad sense, all of us gathered here today are disciples of Jesus. Because we are those who confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and set out to follow Him. But he said that the disciples had something to forsake.
So, what should we forsake in the path of discipleship?
Today's text speaks volumes about it. In other words, how can I lead a good life of faith? How do you believe in Jesus? that's what you're saying.
1. We must abandon the mind of relying on human connections and beating them.
In other words, don't get too attached to people.
It means not relying on people or looking at people too big.
So, first of all, it is said that unless you hate your parents, your wife and children, your brothers and sisters, and even your own life, you cannot become a disciple.
What does the word mean here?
If you cling too much to this kind of relationship, it means that you will not be able to receive great blessings in the life of faith that follows the Lord.
If you look closely, people who are too busy with their social life do not live their religious life properly. Because people value human connections more than God.
Look at the politicians. You have to wait in line. You need to get into the boss's eyes. You need to be recognized by those in power. There is no Sunday for that. The same goes for those who trade or run a hole-in-the-wall. Buyers are considered more important. So, I can't even keep a Sunday.
They think that there is nothing you can do if you leave your network. Man is Lord and God is last. That is why I am pointing this out.
This does not mean that you should not take care of your parents, wives, wives, or siblings. This is not to say that we should ignore human relationships at all.
If we get too caught up in such things, it means that we lose the grace we deserve from God. This is because, in some cases, relationships, or parents and wives and children, can become idols. Even these days, there are people who can't keep Sundays properly because of their children, because of their children's study support. It is said that high school 3 is the most prized among the three these days. Families with high school seniors are all in awe. Then it becomes an idol. It means to throw away high school idols at home.
How meaningful these words are! Keeping Sunday means putting God first in everything. When the Lord's day starts to fall behind that heart's priorities, you can't receive blessings from God. If you are more conscious of people and expect them from people, everyone has their limits. One day, finite human beings fall like leaves in autumn and disappear. There is nothing as empty as the connections in the world. There is nothing so foolish as to rely on people to do something. Only God can do greater and greater things with him.
2. You have to let go of your own obsessions (執着).
In other words, it means to throw away the pride of self that promotes what is called me (我).
If you are too strong in your faith life, you will not be able to enter the world of deep faith.
Even in the church, there are people who are too self-proclaimed.
If you are too proud of yourself while doing the Lord's work, you cannot become a virtue.
No matter how hard you work, you don't get compliments. Even if you serve, you don't get compliments.
Even if you help others, you don't get any appreciation. This is because the more people like this, the more self-proclaimed. It is difficult for these people to enter the path of deep faith. For as long as the self is alive, God is one step behind.
If I am ahead, the Lord is behind me. If you always put the Lord first, the Lord is glorified through him. ① At that time, his heart is happy, ② at that time, his family is at peace, and ③ at that time, his business prospers.
That's why the Lord said, "If anyone would come after me, let him take up and follow me." What does {own cross} mean? It means self-denial. You cannot enter the world of faith with self-confidence and self-confidence and pride. Confidence and pride keep you from turning to God as long as you live.
Everyone! What did Napoleon say?
"Nothing is impossible in my dictionary," he said.
He became a general at the age of 26 and occupied all of Europe.
He assured that he made the plans and that he created the victories.
But what happened to his words? It ended as a loser.
Napoleon, who died in a shabby appearance on the ancient island of St. Herena, was there really no impossibility in his dictionary? no. He couldn't control his own destiny by his own power.
This is life.
There is a person who contrasts with him.
Japanese writer Toyohiko Kagawa, who wrote the book Crossing the Deadly Line, contracted pulmonary tuberculosis and almost died. Looking back on his dying self, at some point, he realized the sacrifice and love of the Lord on the cross and made a decision. Instead of waiting for death, he decided to give up on himself and live with the poor. Then he went to the slums and began to live with them. Then I found peace in my heart, and it became a natural treatment, and I lived for another 50 years. I emptied myself like this, and I filled it up instead. This is the grace you must give up. If you deny yourself, God will fill you up.
3. He was told to throw away all that he had.
That is, to give up all that you claim to be mine.
It's easy to be so proud that you've got everything on your own when you're doing well. So it's easy to brag about it. Of all things that one has obtained through one's own efforts, that is, wealth is the most important. It's easy to get attached to the idea that I earned it, that it belongs to me. That is why he said that it is impossible to serve both wealth and God.
There is nothing in the world as powerful as wealth. Also, the power of cash is great. If you have cash, you can solve everything right away. So I think that without money, everyone can't live.
So many people will serve this money. Once you grab it, you can't let it go.
So I can't obey. Even when money is gone, faith is lost.
So they tell them to pay tithing, but they say they can't. So, even if I tell them to offer the first fruits to God, they say they can't do that.
There is nothing else in the world that exerts great power like money.
Everyone bows their heads in front of money.
Today, Mamon has become a great idol.
However, please compare the lives of those who lived by obedience to the Word and those who did not. Eventually, later in life, it slowly begins to emerge.
Take a look at the chaebols of our country these days!
No, I want to see the reality of our whole country. Is this chaos because our country has no money?
Could it not be that these results came because the people who had money were not right in their hearts? Because not everyone was honest in their hearts as custodians of money and made money an object of worship. It is because they could not glorify God with that money, and they became proud like God with that money. Because money became an idol, God struck him.
But look at those who live by faith.
As a result, they lived without starving while tithing.
Even though I always kept Sundays, I ate well. The whole family lived a healthy life without being hospitalized. Who is the true winner?
Who is the one who truly lived righteously before God?
We have to think deeply.
God's Word says, "The love of money is the root of all evil."
What does love mean? It means you are losing your mind.
When you fall in love, you lose your mind. When you fall in love, you don't listen to others.
When you love money, you listen to money, not God.
That is why it is said that the love of money is the root of all evil, and that it is impossible to serve God with wealth.
The first test that the Lord faced was also a material test to make bread with stones and eat it.
If we overcome the temptations and temptations of this material for the rest of our lives, we can be victorious in our religious life.
By all means, always remembering the above three things, I hope that you will all be victors of faith. ♣