Title: The Most Precious Meeting
Contents Some of you may have come to church for the first time in your life today, but it is nice to meet you all. If you are new to the church, I hope today will be remembered as the most precious day of your life.
During the course of a person's life, he meets a lot of people. However, the question of who I meet in life is very important. Some of the people you meet like that are really precious. Some people have such encounters that change my life. And there are encounters that change my destiny. So we must not neglect meeting these people. There are a few people we need to meet well in our lives.
One is “getting to know your parents well”.
This meeting is fateful. By the time I was born, my parents were already given. That is why we say that this meeting is a meeting made by heaven. It is a blessing to have good parents. It is said that Mencius' mother moved three times for her son. Parents today are far more active than Blindfolds in this regard. Parents today are second to none when it comes to their children's studies. However, Maengmo moved in for her son, which is a little different from the mothers of today. It is said that Maengmo moved near the cemetery for her son, near the market, and finally near the school.
Did Maengmo move like that without thinking? Today, we are moving to Gangnam unconditionally, but that is not the case. Mengmo would have taken her son to a nearby cemetery and allowed him to experience the depth and solemnity of life there. Then Maengmo takes her son and moves to near the market. There, he must have taught his son what life in this world looks like and the principle of competition for survival. And finally, I move to a school near the school with my son. It would have made you aware of and realized the depth of learning there. This is the consideration for Maengmo's son. So the son grows up and becomes Mencius. It is an exclusive mother's attentive care and merit. So, you have to get along well with your parents.
And so was Moses' mother. Moses was born when there was no kingdom. It is the time to throw all the children born into the Nile River. Moses could no longer support him, so he threw it into the Nile River, but was found by a princess bathing downstream and raised in the palace. And Moses' mother is hired as a nanny to raise Moses. At that time, Moses' mother must have always held and talked to him while raising young Moses. “You must become a leader who can lead this nation that has lost its country when you grow up.” So Moses was born. You should get to know your parents better than anyone else.
Also, “you must meet your spouse well”
This spouse is also a very important meeting. If you don't like the other person, you shouldn't look at them, but this spouse is a person you cannot live without. So, it is a blessing to meet and live as a couple with a good intention. A woman named Ayako Miura, a Japanese female writer, was a married couple who really got along with her husband. This woman opened a shop because her husband's income was low. But this store is so good. So, all the shops around you die. My husband saw it and said: “It’s good that our store is doing well, but I’m worried because all the stores next door are closed”. Hearing this, this wife cut back on things the next day. And the missing items sent customers to a neighboring store. So, when I have free time, I start writing from that moment on. The book that was born in this way is called the Freezing Point. After publishing the book to the world, she quickly made a name for herself as a Japanese female writer. God had rewarded her in that way.
Sometimes when I go to an area where cars are pushed, I always see a couple selling walnut cookies. The wife makes sweets and the husband stands and sells them. It's also really nice to see. When a couple enjoys working together, the look is beautiful. First of all, they both make sense. If one person says he can't, how will he do it? So they are a couple. It is also a good meeting to become a good married couple.
And, “You must also meet your teacher well.”
A teacher is someone who has a lot of influence on the growing young intellect. There are people who change their life with a single word from a teacher. This means that the influence of the teacher is great. The philosopher Plato was a man whose dream was to become a politician. However, one day he meets and talks with a philosopher named Socrates, who changes his mind to become a philosopher. Thus, a philosopher named Plato was born on this earth. If so, how much influence did it have? A master is such a being. Guys, look at Paul and Timothy in the Bible. What a good teacher and disciple relationship. There are good pupils under good teachers. It is a blessing to meet a good teacher in life.
And “you should also meet your friends well.”
While living in the world, colleagues, seniors, and alumni are very good guides. And in our country, this road buddy is absolute. In our country, this trend, alumni, and friends play a significant role. Guys, look at David and Jonathan. These two people can be said to be the most ideal relationship when talking about friends. During David's most difficult times, Jonathan was his best counselor, supporter, and adviser. How wonderful it would be to have friends like this in the world. Friends are usually good friends, but true friends are people you can find peace of mind when you are in trouble. In that respect, it is not an exaggeration to say that David's friend, Jonathan, is everything.
Jonathan is the son of King Saul. In fact, his friend David is Jonathan's strongest enemy. If Jonathan stays still, he becomes the king. In other words, it is a third. However, the biggest obstacle to becoming a king is David. And all the people think of David as the future king. So Saul tried to kill David. But to David, Jordan says: “I believe you will be king, and I am next to you.” Where in the world do you have such a friend? This is your friend. It is a blessing to have good friends.
But above all else, we must “meet Jesus”
Of course, parents, spouses, teachers, and friends are good people. But more important than those people is the meeting with Jesus. What kind of strength will they be to me when we are in the place of destiny while living in the world? Think deeply. As a person goes through life, he is not always healthy, happy, and successful. As a person goes through life, there will come a time when we will face events that we cannot handle on our own, and our talents will be helpless. At that time, with what power will you be able to overcome that barrier?
For example, my death is approaching now. These days, this cancer is polarizing. So, even if the body is a little strange, there are times when I am afraid that it may be cancer. So, for a moment, I think of death. So today is the time when health becomes an idol. I was diagnosed with a strange body and was told that I would only have 3 months to live. It's 3 months in the future. Who will you depend on then? Who can be my strength then? Are you parents? are you a child Or is it a friend, teacher, or spouse? What strength will they give me then? Such a time will surely come as a person lives. Jesus is not something to believe in out of boredom. Jesus is not a cheap being that can be trusted or not. Jesus is absolute. That is why people dedicate their lives and even their lives to believe in him. Look at the history, not just the people of today. How long ago did people believe in Jesus in the midst of suffering and suffering? Jesus is the absolute presence in our lives.
Life is a profound being where you reap what you sow. This world was created by God. When God created this world, God's laws, order, and will were given to it. He said that those who knew the meaning and believed in God would be given the kingdom of heaven. That is why believers can die so confidently even at the last moment of the end. Because there is something that has already been believed and planted. So, the life of faith is a life of believing and sowing good things. He promised that if he lived like that, he would surely give them fruit in the future.
If you look at the text we read today, you will find the story of the Apostle Paul. A man named Paul was a very vicious man who persecuted, persecuted, and killed Christians when they did not know Jesus. He persecuted Christians very viciously. If a person does not know, he has courage. Those who do not know Jesus say everything. Because Paul did not know Jesus, he viciously persecuted, persecuted, and tortured Christians.
Then one day, this Paul meets Jesus. He met Jesus for the first time in his life that day. Paul was a very strong man by nature. He was a very evil person. He, too, was a man who had a hard time meeting and believing in Jesus. So Jesus appeared to Paul in a vision as he was walking. He appeared and rebuked me, saying, “Why are you persecuting me?” and then threw him down on the spot. Because this Paul was a very strong man, God also threw him down like a hurricane to the ground. At that time, after meeting Jesus in a vision, Paul was blinded for a moment. It's because you've been exposed to too much light. And for three days in a state of chaos, they completely abolish food and drink and wander.
It was then that Paul met Jesus, whom he had only heard of in words for the first time in his life. When we met, that Jesus was the Son of God. After realizing it, this Paul raised his hands and surrendered. And I swore. “I will be your disciple from now on.” And from that day on, Paul threw away everything he had. give up everything. He said that he would throw away everything he had so cherished until now, like dust. It's a very cool decision. And from that day on, Paul lives the life of an evangelist who preaches only Jesus. And Paul feels so happy that he met that Jesus, and he lives a life of preaching Jesus with great satisfaction.