Title: The Heart to Receive the Lord
(There was the true light, which came into the world, to give to every man, and he was in the world.
and the world was made through him, but the world did not know him,
When he came, his people did not receive him, but those who did receive him, those who believed in his name.
He gave the right to become children of God, whether by blood or by the will of the flesh.
They were not born of the will of man, but of God. The Word became flesh
oh he dwelt among us and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten
full of grace and truth)
We have a new president.
We are putting new expectations and hopes in the hearts of the people who welcome the new president.
I saw the high expectations of people from all walks of life.
On the other hand, as believers in heaven, we will soon be greeted with the king of peace.
I did. It means that we are not the king of one country, but the King of kings, the Lord of lords.
Expectations for a president who will lead the politics of the world are high, but as a citizen of heaven,
It can be said that Lee's expectations are even greater.
If so, how should we prepare our hearts to meet the King of Kings?
The characteristic of this king is that not everyone can meet him.
You must have a heart that can welcome the Lord.
1. What kind of heart would be able to receive the Lord?
You can tell by thinking of those who met the Lord on the first Christmas.
The first Christmas night was a night of chaos all over the world.
As ordered by the Roman governor's census, all people are required to renew their family registers.
It was the way down to find it.
Joseph and Mary were also on their way down to register in the procession.
It was a night when the sun had already set and the inns were full.
Maria, who was full term, felt a childbirth, but had no room to go in.
Everyone was busy with their own path, so they did not have time to think about others.
They do not have the heart to welcome the new king who will come to accomplish the great work of salvation for mankind.
It was. In the race to get something, everyone is chasing something,
It was the night of the week.
Were there some people who tried to make a fortune with the Roman power on their backs?
In other words, to amass more wealth than others, flattering power, and living a career-oriented life
There were people like that. Therefore, in the hearts of the Jews, God's chosen people,
The Messiah came in fulfillment of the prophecies of the prophets, but no one received him.
I did. This is a great spiritual lesson for us today.
“He came to his own land, but his people did not receive him,” he said.
But even among them there were those who did receive them, those who believed in his name, and they
He gave the right to become children of God.”
In other words, to those who still receive him in a troubled world, it is the special privilege of becoming a child of God.
He said he was given a ticket. That is, the privilege of salvation.
Here we come to understand the providence of God's work of salvation.
We need to think deeply about the saying "If anyone welcomes me..."
It's like saying "If anyone believes in me..."
There is no limit when you say here.
Any sinner, any race, any person, there is no limit.
However, the word has limitations.
Therefore, among the doctrines of the Presbyterian Church, salvation is not for everyone, but for the elect.
There is a theory of salvation.
In this turbulent world, to those who welcome the new king who comes as the Prince of Peace,
is the promise to become a citizen of heaven.
What a privilege this is!
Those who can enjoy this privilege must have a different mind.
The heart that can receive the Lord is met with the kind of heart that the world seeks.
said it couldn't be done.
Then, what kind of heart can receive the Lord?
2. The heart to receive the Lord must be humbled.
It was these people who received the Lord on the first Christmas Day.
According to the expression of the Bible, they were possessors of an empty heart and a poor heart.
To receive the Lord, you must first empty your heart.
You cannot receive the Lord if your heart is filled with greed and covetousness.
minds clinging to reality,
Hearts full of hatred and conflict,
You cannot receive the Lord if your heart is filled with worry, anxiety, anxiety, and fear.
You have to empty your mind.
That is why the Lord came to a low place.
He was not born in the royal palace, which is a high place, but in a stable.
Therefore, even now, we cannot receive the Lord with our proud and exalted heart.
On the road to success, we are not prepared to meet the Lord.
Even those who have too much in the world cannot receive the Lord.
Because such people are all exalted minds.
Even now, when I am sick, lonely, confined, and starving to death, that is, my heart is
When things get difficult, you can welcome the Lord.
Today, the Lord comes into these humbled hearts. Receive the Lord today
A willing heart comes to humble hearts.
So the prophet Isaiah said, Let every high mountain be made low, and every valley be filled.
I did. Hearts that are as high as mountains, hearts that are arrogant cannot welcome the Lord.
is.
Sir James Simpson of the University of Edinburgh suffers after discovering a pain reliever
The person who underwent surgery without it. It was a Nobel Prize in medicine and a great discovery.
All. During one of his lectures, a student told Professor Noh Sir Simpson, "From the life of a teacher
If you were to name one of your most significant and valuable discoveries, what would it be?"
When I asked him, he said that he bowed his head for a while and then said this.
“The most precious discovery in my life was that I was a sinner and that Jesus
I discovered that I am the savior of
Everyone! How low is this heart?
Heavenly treasures can be found in the lower minds.
"Elder, please sit down."
“It’s not true, before I was the principal and the pastor was a student, but now I’m a pastor.
is a precious servant of God, and I am the elder who serves that servant. lower seat
Don't do it." It was the humility that came from Master Noh's faith.
One Sunday, a guest came to Elder Cho, who was about to attend a service.
Elder Cho was talking with the guests and ended up being late for the service.
Please stand and worship."
It was so rude to my old teacher, Elder Noh.
But Elder Joe was obedient.
Elder Cho said, “Father, forgive this sinner.
Meeting with People It was late for the worship time to meet God. How heart your servant
Would you have rebuked me like this without preaching? break the heart of God's servant
Forgive me one sin. Hearing the gracious sermon, the saints stopped receiving grace.
We cried together.
made it go out.
The heart that can serve the Lord must be such a humble heart.
3. The heart that can receive the Lord is the heart that lives while looking at the stars.
What kind of hearts were those who received the Lord on the first Christmas?
It was people who lived while looking at the stars in the night sky.
Who were such people?
That is, they were the wise men of the East, and shepherds who tended the sheep in the fields.
The wise men looked up at the night sky, waiting for a new king to be born,
They were the ones waiting to appear.
So did the shepherds.
Keep a bonfire while watching the night sky
They were people who silently carried out their mission.
The heart that can receive the Lord even today is to live while looking at the stars in the night sky.
People.
The night symbolizes this world.
The night represents the power of sin and the power of iniquity.
Even in a world ruled by night, people who live looking up at the sky and looking at the stars
They are people of faith who are waiting for the Lord and in hope.
No matter how negative the reality is, these are people who live by looking at the stars.
These are people who can receive the Lord with words.
Without faith, we cannot overcome the darkness.
No matter how dark and gloomy the world may be, those who can overcome
are the ones
Sometimes there are clouds in the night sky, so even if you can't see the stars
You need to know. In the midst of adversity, not disappointed, not discouraged, in hope
With such a heart waiting for the Lord, the Lord will come.
This is life looking at the stars.
The first U.S. Navy pilot to be shot down in the Vietnam War in 1965 was
After being tortured for 7 years as a prisoner of beans, he survived to the end and later wrote a memoir.
All. Sometimes, when you put your hands over your head, you can't even get rid of mosquitoes.
He said that he was tied up in an iron chain and stayed there for several days. Because of the wounds
Even now, he can't bend his left knee and walks limping.
The most painful torture he suffered was being secluded from other US prisoners of war and sent to watch alone.
It was said that it was a time when only the fields and interrogators were supposed to see.
How did he endure seven years of such torture?
said that it was he who saved him.
The belief that one day I will go home!,
Belief that 'today is the day I am released' every day!,
He said it was because of that belief.
If he had not had faith, he would have died in despair like everyone else.
I did.
That's it.
The heart that can receive the Lord is faith that does not lose hope in any adversity. Hymn 406 has this to say:
① When my heart is discouraged and weighed down by anxiety / The Lord comes to me and comforts me
The road is dark and painful / The Lord is with me and directs my burden
② When hope disappears and you forsake Friends Day / You whisper to me and give me new hope
When the battle is fierce and fearful / I hear the voice of the Lord, the victorious king
That grace is enough for me, that grace is enough
That grace is enough when I pass through this world of suffering.
The heart to receive the Lord in this way is to believe
He comes with such a heart of patience. We all receive this Lord at Advent
I hope that all of you will come across it. ♣