Title Fill My Joy (January 25)
Content span id="writeContents">Text: Philippians 2:1~4
The faces of all of you who have been to your hometown look very generous. Everyone who went to their hometown on New Year's Day is a happy appearance in itself. When I think of hometown, the first thing that comes to mind is my mother. It is said that the happiest appearance of a child in the arms of its mother. It is a good thing and a joy to say that the mother can return to her hometown whether she is alive or has already passed away. I hope that the joy of those who have visited your hometown will always be a great vitality in your life. Let's confess together. “You look generous today.”
One of the most revered figures in the Bible is the Apostle Paul. The Apostle Paul is the most outstanding person biblically, theologically, and missiologically. I am confessing that I felt the greatest happiness in prison when such an outstanding person talked about the happiest moment of his life.
If you think about it, what was the background for making such a confession that you were the happiest in the environment that looked the most unhappy? When the apostle Paul explained the background, he spoke only in one word, and what it meant was, “I was happy because I was in the Lord.” It's a confession.
Today, everyone in the Lord, I believe that that happiness belongs not only to the Apostle Paul, but also to you.
In this happiest moment, he left a confession of happiness in the prison letter. Ephesians is the first written word in the prison epistles, which theologians call the epistle of grace. The second written word is Philippians. It is a letter of joy. The third is the book of Colossians, a letter of thanks. The fourth is the Philemon Sunde, the epistle of love.
If you link these words well, you can see the Apostle Paul's confession of happiness at a glance. "When I receive grace from above, I have joy and gratitude in my heart, and such a person has no choice but to live with love." That is a confession.
Guys, have you ever seen an advertisement that stands out on TV or newspaper these days? That's from my sermon. “Love is a verb, not a noun.” I took mine from the Red Cross and advertised it. But I did not receive a penny of ten won.
Therefore, the first joy of those who live in Christ is that I am a child of God. Those who have faith and confession to be this child have no choice but to live with joy.
When I was in middle school, I went to an oratory contest hosted by Bucheon City. At that time, I was very timid, so it was a time when I couldn't express myself well. So I decided to change my personality and went to an oratory contest. Then all four people came out. I wondered if I would still be in third place among the four. A lot was drawn, and I was the fourth draw. The first one vomited and did very well. But it was summer, and the wind blew the manuscript away. How embarrassed this student was, I chased after him and picked up the manuscript, but people laughed while holding his stomach. So I said to myself, "He's wrong. Third place took over.”
The second student is speaking hard, but he trembles so much that I can hear everything behind him. I thought to myself, "He's wrong, too."
The third girl came out, but even then, I had been ignoring her a bit. So, "He's wrong, too."
So I think I'm definitely number one. Maybe it's because of that thought, but when it's my turn to go out and do it, I never knew in my entire life that I could speak so well. good job. So I thought it was definitely number one.
The child whose manuscript was blown during the award is third. The next girl is second. I was “first” and I jumped up without realizing it. I'm sure I'm number one... I'm about to leave, but I'm calling another kid's name. Even now, when I think about it while sleeping, I get a cold sweat. How embarrassed I was.... I went home that day and couldn't sleep well. It's embarrassing, so toss and turns to and fro...
At breakfast the next day, my mother bought me a present.
“Jongsoon-ah, I bought you a present to commemorate your fourth place at the oratory contest.”
I wondered if my mother was laughing at me now, so I said, “Are you ignoring my mother because she was in fourth place?”
At that time, my mother spoke words that touched my heart that I will never forget. “Jongsoon-ah, it doesn’t matter to me whether you are first or fourth. 1st place is my son, and 4th place is my son. I'm proud of the fact that my son went to an oratory contest. You have to be first to be my son, and if you are last, you are not my son. I love you and I am proud of you because you are my son.”
To this day, my ignorant mother said, “I am your proud son.” made me think
God loves us, not because he loves us for another reason, not because we are smarter than others, not because we are cleaner than others, but because God loves us for one thing. We love us because we are children of God.
I hope you can fully experience the joy of being a child of God. We should proudly tell anyone that we are children of God.
What kind of joy he gave to us who became children like this a second time, he also gave us the joy of being forgiven. Because we are children, no matter how many sins we commit, there is no sin that cannot be forgiven. I am forgiven because I am a child. Because you are a child, you cannot see sin. Because I am a child, I want to cover it. Because I am a child, I am not ashamed even if I overturn that sin.
Even if everyone else is throwing stones at your child, can't you hug your child? This is mother's love. God's love.
My daughter Yeeun has recently fallen in love with the drama “Stairway to Heaven.” One time I saw that he had one of his favorite lines from among the lines in “Stairway to Heaven.” Maybe later I'll use it for the guy I like. If you say something like, “You don’t say you’re sorry to the person you love.” A 5th grader... I don't quite understand. This sounds plausible. It's a sensual language. But this shouldn't be the conversation of life.
What is the greatest joy in life? We could be wrong. I can make a mistake. But because we are children of God, we say, “God, I am sorry. God, I was wrong.” Then forgive me Have you ever sinned once and have the joy of being forgiven? There are no words to describe the joy of being forgiven.
“Elder, did I not do what I should have done?”
"no. I must receive this forgiveness before I die. Don't say anything and just don't pass by. Yes, elder, I'll forgive you. Just say that one word. I will go back when I hear that voice.”
Elder Hado begged, “Elder, I forgive you.” Then how much did you cry...
The elder cried, and I cried too.... Because of those tears, the son came back, and we went to the elder's funeral and wept a lot. Only then did I know the joy of forgiveness.
What is the joy of God? God knows the joy of forgiving children as happiness. What joy does it give us as humans? I know with joy that I have been forgiven.
As long as you confess any wrongdoing, “I will forgive you.” You say.
“I’m sorry, God. God was wrong.”
“You don’t say you’re sorry to the person you love.” That's the sound from "Stairway to Heaven"... No. The true Christian joy is “God, I’m sorry. please forgive me." Then, “Okay. I'll forgive you. I will forgive you.”
We have this joy.
What does the third Apostle Paul say about true joy? It is the joy of faith. The greatest joy is the joy of believing in anything. There are some who are truly unbelievable. Take a look at the person next to you. It's difficult to put into words, so if you look at your face and don't believe it, keep looking at it, and if you believe it, hold your hand underneath.
God please believe me It means that God believed in me.
The child deceived the parents and did not listen. Later, when I went to the military, I had a very big problem and I had to solve it, but no matter how much I tell my parents, they don't believe it. I can't believe it even if I tell my brothers. What can't this guy do? Later, he committed suicide.
The unbelievable, the unbelievable, this is unfortunate. But God believes in you and you believe in God...
I don't know how many people in the world can't trust. I can't believe it even when I smile, it's the relationship in this society. But even in this relationship, God gave me a heart to believe. Thank you for giving me the joy you can believe in.