Title Pulpit Sermon (June 26)
Contents
< Pulpit sermon >
2011. 6. 26. (Sunday)
day worship
‘Prayer for our compatriots in North Korea’ (Romans 9:1-5)
1. North Korean missionaries
For the past 30 years, the Korean church has pursued peaceful unification through dialogue with North Korea in various ways. In particular, progressive denominations took the lead and held meetings with North Korean church representatives and exchanged exchanges through dialogue. After that, conservative denominations have been conducting relief activities for North Koreans in various ways. As a result, the North Korean people's perception of the South Korean church has changed, and through frequent exchanges, the North Korean missionary path has begun to appear. North Korean defectors who have come down to South Korea are preparing to become valuable workers for North Korean missions in the future while working hard to lead a religious life.
2. Values of North Koreans
Since the communist revolution, North Korea has been oppressing Christianity, emphasizing that “religion is the opium.” So, North Koreans have had negative thoughts about religion, and have lived a life dedicated only to the communist revolution. Meanwhile, the North Korean rulers have pursued collectivist values and “our-style socialism” by creating a system centered on the leader of Kim Il-sung. As a result, North Korea has now become an extremely closed society, and it is one of the poorest countries along with the collapse of the economy. Since the Juche idea they claim comes from atheism, they are still trying to deny God and create a human-centered society.
3. Directions and Tasks for North Korean Missions
We need to enlighten their misconceptions and teach them that the world is God's, not man's. And, realizing that there is a spiritual world, we must repent and return to God, believe in Jesus as our Savior and receive the Holy Spirit and lead us to live a new life. Seeing the North Korean defectors working hard to lead such a life of faith now, we should work hard on North Korean missions with the expectation that the day will come when North Koreans will be able to receive such changes.
In the future, if God permits, the day will come when these nations will be united in the Lord's hand. While waiting for that day, we must prepare everything we can to go into North Korea and preach the gospel. To that end, we need to understand the North Koreans more deeply and have the wisdom to effectively preach the gospel to them. I hope that you will become believers who pray more for that work.