Title: The One I Met Again (April 12)
Content span id="writeContents">◆ Main text: Luke 24:30~34
“The Lord has risen.”
The church makes this confession. The saints make this confession. I make this confession.
Together, we will sing the song “Even if I am full of sorrow and my heart is troubled”.
[Even if I am full of sorrow and worry and my heart is troubled,
On the cross of Calvary, the burden of sin was lifted.
Calvary, Calvary, Calvary of amazing love.
Calvary of marvelous love, eternal Calvary.
Cast all your worries and anxieties on the Lord.
On the cross of Calvary, the burden of sin was lifted.
Calvary, Calvary, Calvary of amazing love.
Calvary of marvelous love, eternal Calvary.
The Lord cares for your tear-broken psyche.
On the cross of Calvary, the burden of sin was lifted.
Calvary, Calvary, Calvary of amazing love.
Calvary of marvelous love, eternal Calvary.]
When you enter the tunnel, the end is sure to come out. When the night is deep, the dawn is approaching. Faith is realizing, believing, and living this precious truth. Resurrection means to rise again. People think that death is the eternal end. However, the event that taught us that death can be the beginning, not the eternal end, is the event of the Resurrection. Faith is believing, not understanding.
Although the church in China has opened up the life of faith these days, it prevents them from doing three things. So, if you go to a Chinese church and have a revival meeting, you have to be careful about these three things.
The first is the virgin theory, which says that Jesus came in the body of a virgin. It's an incredible event, so the church in China is by law not to say it.
Second, Jesus was crucified. The historical event is recognized by the church in China as well. But what does the incident of Jesus carrying on the cross have to do with me today? I'm talking about saying that it's just a historical story and has absolutely nothing to do with me today.
Third, it prevents us from talking about the resurrection. How do the dead come back to life? This is a story that is said to be nonsensical. Three-Self churches in China are not allowed to do these three things, but today the Chinese churches are celebrating Easter Sunday more grandly than we are. They also confess that the Lord's resurrection is my resurrection on Easter Sunday.
Today, everyone, I earnestly pray that, on this Easter Sunday, not other blessings, but the Lord's resurrection will be a precious time for you to become your resurrection.
Today's text is the story of two disciples going to Emmaus. As you are well aware, there were people who came to Jesus to hear the news of Jesus and to meet him at least once. After meeting Jesus, these people, who were really insignificant, had a big dream and thought that the dream would come true. After meeting Jesus, they were full of dreams. They followed Jesus with the expectation that if Jesus made Israel independent, and that Jesus became king in that independent country, he would also give them a great place.
Jesus was their dream and hope. Such a dream and hope, Jesus, tragically died on the cross one day. The cross of Jesus took away their dreams and hopes. Sometimes, even we who believe in Jesus live our lives with these false beliefs. For those of us who pray a little and have hope and hope that something will work out because of Jesus, sometimes difficulties we cannot imagine repeat themselves.
Every time we do, we end up with the same disappointment as these two disciples. Faith never disappoints. Nevertheless, these two disciples were disappointed. They are recounting the dark days of the past few days as they go down to their hometown in a sad light. Then someone accompanied them. I thought they would grieve together if they heard their story, but the person accompanying him started telling strange stories rather than sad stories at all.
Ladies and gentlemen, the story of faith is not a sad story. A story of faith may seem very strange, but a story of faith is a story of lost hope. I don't know who it is, but he said to me, 'Who the hell is this person? Who is this person?’ Gentlemen, that is what God’s love is all about. In your most difficult times, God is with you.
‘Who the hell is that?’
Ladies and gentlemen, when you face difficulties, your friends also leave. When I'm really in trouble, all the people around me leave. But looking here today, it is said that there was someone who accompanied them during the most difficult times. Love is companionship. Love is always together. Those who have faith in the resurrection believe in this kind of love.
There is a parable like this. In heaven, God gave this command to an angel.
“Go down to the land and bring the three most beautiful things.”
When the angel came down to this earth, he saw that the flowers blooming in the fields in the mountains were so beautiful. So I put it in the basket. Then this angel filled with the laughter of a child because it was so beautiful. Third, the angel went up with her mother's love because she was so beautiful.
While climbing, the beautiful flowers withered, and the bright laughter of a child faded as an adult. In the end, the angel ascended to heaven with only mother's love. It is said that the thing that does not change over the years is a mother's love, and the most beautiful thing is this. It is said that love is eternal.
That's right. Because we love, God is always with us. The more difficult times you are, the closer God is to you. Isn't it God who wipes your tears when you cry? “God, why do these difficulties continue for me? Why is such a difficult thing repeated over and over again?” no. The difficulties are meant to pass, and after that, trust that the God of love is with you.
It is said that the second time the person who accompanied him gave the word, his heart was warmed. Everyone, I hope that your hearts will always be warm when you listen to the Word. May the Word give you hope, and the Word will give you confidence.
Oh, how cool is that? Aren't doctors 20%, God 80%, 100%? There's only a 20% chance of surviving... … . to die... … . Master Kwon, who told me to prepare for death, will be discharged on Tuesday. Hearing my story, the faith in the resurrection is not different, it is this. Everyone, the belief that you can do it when you say no, the faith that does not give up when people give up, this is the resurrection. Those who have a burning heart for the Word will have this kind of faith. Do you think no? Do you think this is only 20% of the time? Everyone, God is responsible for the remaining 80%. This is what people who believe in the resurrection faith look like.
My heart warmed as I listened to the Word. ‘Oh, that’s not it.’ I went down to my hometown now in disappointment, but instead of disappointment, God made my heart burn so that I failed. Just as the road to Emmaus is not the home road of failure, but as it turned around once again with the thrill of the resurrection, I hope that your disappointing steps will turn into hopeful steps on this Easter morning.
Those who live in the Word will have such confidence and such joy. People who have been treated for cancer at our training center all tell the same story at the same time. “I don’t know why it was so hot when I heard the word.” Folks, the Word is life. The word is fire. It is the Word that brings us back to life.
Third, they say that they realized that Jesus was with them and came to know him right away. Today, there are many people who live a religious life in a formal way. I just try to understand what I can understand and do what I can. Faith is not like that. You have to do what you can't do.
“It was only then that I found out that it was Jesus.” Ladies and gentlemen, Jesus is not the kind of person we understand in our heads, but He is still alive today, He is still interfering with my life, He is still with us and makes me a person of light through darkness. He changes my disappointing life and makes me a person of hope. Don't think of obesity when it rains. We have to become people of the rainbow who have the faith to think about the rainbow that rises after the rain ends.
The moment you know that you are Jesus, your entire life changes now. What happened to these two disciples on their way to Emmaus, who later turned away in disappointment? They became famous fathers of the early church. Ever since they met the living Jesus, their entire lives have been changed amazingly. It is said to be reborn as a person of resurrection.
Is anyone struggling? The Lord of the Resurrection is with you at this time. always accompany you. Have you run into disappointment? The word of God will make you hot. A person who meets the living Jesus will change his or her life so far and become a person of amazing change. Meet the Risen Lord. Then you too will become people of the resurrection.
Businesses that have a background on money go bankrupt. However, the business with Jesus as the background is clearly protected by God. Faith always turns our whole life upside down. I earnestly pray that darkness will become light, failure will become success, sorrow will become joy, and this thrill may be yours in the morning of the resurrection. We will pray together.
“Thank God, thank you, thank you for your precious grace that is always with us. On this morning of the Resurrection, help us to have faith in the Resurrection so that our whole life becomes a life of hope, and help our whole life become a life of change. We thank and pray in the name of Jesus. Amen."