Title Close to the Lord
Contents
Psalm 73:27-28 Draw near to the Lord
In a church, there were sisters who were very diligent in the Lord's work. However, as they became zealous for church work, they forgot their marriage age and reached the age of an old virgin, which is quite burdensome. Perhaps they realized their crisis as they got older, these five old virgin sisters formed the 'Five Sisters' and gathered together to pray for their spouses. And if any one of the 5 members gets married first, we have decided to leave the 'Five Sisters' with honor.
"It's great to see you guys praying to get married. But don't forget. Marriage is with brothers. And brothers aren't manna that comes down from heaven when you pray. They're not quails that fall from the sky with the wind. You have to go to the place where your brothers are. But isn't the opportunity to meet your brothers disappear because the five of you gather together day and night to pray? "Isn't there one person yet? I'm not saying you shouldn't pray. Now go to where your brothers are. And pray with your brothers."
Today's sermon title and topic. Everyone, 'closer to the Lord,' I want to ask you. Is it a blessing to live close to God? Is it a blessing to live away from God? This question is similar to the question we ask our Sunday School Kindergarten students. Our Kindergarten students will certainly be able to answer this question. “It is a blessing to be close to God.” I bless you in the name of the Lord that all of you in this room will be able to give such simple answers as children.
I ask again. "Is it a blessing for me to live close to God in this foreign land? Is it a blessing for me to live far away from God because it is a foreign land?" Of course, all of you who came to worship today will surely be able to answer this question like this. “It is a blessing for me to live close to God who is the source of blessings, whether in Korea or Canada.” Hallelujah!
The Bible makes it clear. "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you." (James 4:8) "Seek the Lord while he may be found. Call on him while he is near." (Isaiah 55:6) Especially in today's text The psalmist speaks directly to us like this: "It is a blessing for me to draw near to God. For those who are far from you will perish, and you have destroyed all who have turned away from you like harlots" (Psalm 73:28, 27).
Guys, sometimes when you watch Animal Kingdom on TV, you see a lot of lions. And you will often see lions hunting. And without exception, you will see that the one who becomes the food of the lion is the one who smokes alone, far away from its mother. Gentlemen, when it comes to who the devil is also targeting, he does not stay close to Heavenly Father, but rather seeks people who are far away from him and smoke.
See the history of Israel through the Bible. As they turned away from God, suffering came upon them. The country was destroyed and many people were taken captive and lost their lives. But when they drew near to God, they had hope, joy, and happiness. And there was life. Therefore, Moses makes this confession. “But all of you who remained attached to the LORD your God are alive” (Deuteronomy 4:4).
Everyone, please. Stay close to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. And if possible, don't get too far away from the body of Jesus, the Church. Consider it a great privilege to be close to the church and be able to attend one more worship service. Consider it a great happiness to be able to meet the beloved Jesus one more time through worship. If possible, stay away from the church and set up a business. And pray to God like this. "God, I'm going to come to a foreign land to worship diligently. I'm going to do a lot of your work. I'm trying to get a business and a job in such a place, so please guide me!"
As you all know, there are ice caps in the North and South Poles. There aren't many living things. Why? Are you cursed? no. The answer is simple. It's because of the distance from the sun. On the other hand, Indonesia and Malaysia have dense rainforests. There are various wild animals and living things. Why? It's not because I got more blessings. Just because it's close to the sun.
The same is true. Why do our hearts become frozen frozen ground? Because the distance from God, who is the light, has become farther away. If you neglect worship, neglect your prayer life, and stay away from the Word, you will naturally freeze. The best solution at this time is to draw close to God. As the distance from God draws closer, all problems begin to melt just like snow melts in spring. So, how can we draw closer to God?
1. We must pray.
Guys, who is God close to? It's a multiple choice problem. ① A good-looking person, ② A person who has learned a lot from the world, ③ A rich person with a lot of money, ④ A person who sincerely prays to God. Prayer is a conversation with a loving God. God doesn't want you to be a loner or a bully. God has a personality. He always wants to discuss and talk with him. Therefore, in good times and bad times, in happy times and in sad times, the person who prays and God are always close.
Moses says: “What nation has found his god as close to him as the Lord our God is to us whenever we pray to him?” (Deuteronomy 4:7) David also says: “The Lord is near to all who ask him, to all who ask him in truth” (Psalm 145:18).
Gentlemen, when Jesus was on this earth, He was closer to God than anyone else. Jesus always set the example of prayer in order to draw closer to God. Jesus prayed in the morning, prayed all night, prayed alive, and prayed fasting. Jesus began his public ministry with prayer and ended his public life with prayer. And even now at the right hand of the throne of God, he prays for us day and night.
Just as Jesus drew near to God through prayer in this way, we too can draw near to God through prayer. Of course, all the great men in the Bible who met God and became close to God were people who prayed consistently. When I say this, people of disbelief often object to this. “No, Jesuits, what does it mean to pray like that?” At this time, we Jesuits respond like this. “What happens when you pray?”
That's right. When we pray, God comes near and comforts us. Therefore, if you pray, you will be at peace. Praying will take away your worries. Also, if you pray, God's thoughts will be transmitted, so you can have a heart like God. Forgiveness arises. A heart of reconciliation arises. Gratitude arises. Faith arises. Quarrels and resentments disappear. The proud heart melts. Therefore, if you pray, God's work will happen. First, God's work takes place in my heart, and God's work also takes place around me. It is because God draws near to you when you pray.
Dear brothers and sisters, even today, we need God more than anyone in this foreign land. Only with God's help can we live in this foreign land. God promises to draw near to those who pray. Therefore, no matter how busy or busy you are, you must not cut off the channel of prayer with God. When we are always close to God through prayer, we can live with the blessings God has promised us.
2. You must dwell in the courts of the Lord.
The Bible says “Blessed is the man whom you have chosen and brought near to dwell in your courts.” (Psalm 65:4) In the Old Testament times, your courts referred to the temple of God. In today's New Testament era, the church is the body of Jesus, the courtyard of the Lord, and the house of God the Father. Just as we can meet the President of the United States at the White House and the President of the Republic of Korea at the Blue House, we can meet God at church.
Jesus left the church on this earth. Jesus said that he would be with the church where two or three are gathered in the name of Jesus. Thankfully, Koreans have the grace to work hard to establish churches wherever they go in the world. In order to get closer to God, you shouldn't be near bars. You shouldn't even be close to the parasitic house. You shouldn't even be close to casinos. You need to get close to the church.
And on Sundays, be sure to come to church and receive God's reward for your hard work for the week. As much as possible, you come to church to pray on Friday all-night services and pray at church on Wednesday services as well, so I pray that you will stand in a blessed place that makes God's heart more pleasing. Strangely, when I receive grace, I want to go to church more and more. I hate going to church when grace runs out. By all means, I pray that you will become a blessed person by living in the courtyard of this foreign Lord.
The reason unbelieving people don't come close to God is that I know that going to God is a waste of time. I know that if you donate, your money will be taken away and you will lose a lot of money. But the Bible says. “It is a blessing to me to be close to God.” Of course, there are imperfect sinners when it comes to church. Sometimes I get tired of human problems. But the church is not just a place for people. It is a place where God is with us to rule and bless us.
Especially the Bible says. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18) Guys, are there times when you feel bad in this foreign land? Do you have difficult times? At this time, God promises to draw closer to us. Therefore, when life is difficult and difficult due to various difficulties, I pray that you will come to God near you and turn the curse into a blessing. May you turn sadness into joy. And I pray that the kingdom of heaven where you will be close to God forever will be mine and yours.