Title Wherever You Are / July 17, 2005.
content e=12 color=blue> wherever you are
Matthew 5:13-16, Psalm 139:7-10
These days, as the five-day week system has become a thing, more and more people take a break on Saturdays. how are you guys spending saturday? As the five-day week system came into being like this, I hear that every church has a bit of an emergency. It is said that more and more people are tempted by the propaganda saying, 'You who worked hard, go away' every week during the holidays. So, there are a lot of stories out there, from the opinion that the Saturday worship service should be made just like the first Sunday worship service, to the fact that the Friday night service should be made the regular worship service.
Of course, confession to God is important in our faith, but it is not so important what day we worship or what time we gather. Therefore, in some cases, the dates and times, which are not essential elements of faith, may be flexible. However, if the worship time, which is the central element of this religious life, is not kept or ignored because of eating, drinking, and playing, how can it be said that they live for the Lord?
Although there are such problems, I think that the five-day week system will not only have a bad influence on the believers' lives of faith. In the meantime, I think it is desirable in that at least one day a week is provided for our members who have worked hard all day, working at work all week and coming to church for worship and service on Sundays. As many churches fear, people who want to enjoy the holidays will want to go out with their families, so it's not without risk that your religious life will be shaken up a lot. However, for those who think that they have to go somewhere because it is a holiday, even when there is only one day off on the Sunday, they would not have been diligently attending church. Genuine Christians believe that Saturday will be put to good use and, on the contrary, will be celebrated with joy. Because that is what a true Christian looks like.
In the long history of the church, the church has grown by overcoming numerous trials and persecutions. It was not made by human thoughts, logic, or wisdom. It is the Holy Spirit, not man, who runs this church, the church of God. The Holy Spirit will always make the church the church. The Lord will move His body, the Church, in some way through the Holy Spirit.
In addition to these fundamental problems, we are now entering the holiday season with the students on vacation. Together with many people, our members will go on vacation to rest their minds and bodies from work. Rest is very important. In fact, the concept of rest originated in the Bible. God said that He created the world and rested, and He commanded us humans to rest as He rested. In that sense, not resting is against God's providence of creation. If rest is God's will, then we will think about how resting really conforms to God's will.
Because God is everywhere, not only in the church, we Christians should not be loyal only in the church, gracious only in the church, and humble only in the relationship with the saints. Wherever you are, as a true Christian, you must have the right attitude of faith and a beautiful life. In that sense, I would like to say a few things about the attitudes of the saints on vacation.
1. Be a rest for the future.
The saints must also rest. But that rest should always be directed towards the future. It should be a time to pause for a moment to look back, catch your breath and look forward for a new future. That is the true form of rest for the saints.
Koreans tend to take rest as work. Drinking to death, and playing to death, when the rest is over, you are more exhausted than before the rest, and you can't get your work done for a while. This is not an appearance of proper rest. It is said that there are three things our people are fastest in the world. The first step is the pace of eating, the second is the speed of eating, and the third is driving. Since when did this distorted nationality come into being? Perhaps it was because of war and competition in the face of rapid economic growth. That's why taking a break might be so crazy. But rest is relaxation, not another competition.
What is vacation? A vacation should be a real rest. It should be a time to get peace of mind through physical rest. Frantic eating and playing is not a vacation. Indolence is not a vacation. Satisfying your physical desires is not a vacation either. Vacation is a time of pause for new creation. retreat - to withdraw one's hands back for a moment. A vacation is to look back on yourself through that time and to have a leisurely time for tomorrow's new time. The meaning of vacation and rest is that you can fully enjoy the peace that God gives you in that leisurely time. This is the true meaning of a vacation, a form of rest.
2. Fellowship with the Lord everywhere.
The reason I leave home and go out to the crowded, blocked, unfamiliar world is because of my longing for 'freedom'. You are leaving to enjoy freedom from work, freedom from bondage, freedom from care and worry, freedom from the tyranny of ethics and morality.
But believers are Christians wherever they are. Therefore, we must not lose the bond of fellowship with God. God is not in the church. You are everywhere.
Where shall I go from thy spirit, and where shall I flee from thy presence?
Even if I ascend to heaven, you are there
Even if I make my bed in hell, you are there.
Even if I flap my wings at dawn and go and dwell at the edge of the sea
Even there your hand is guiding me.
Your right hand will uphold me. Psalm 139:7-10
Wherever they are, they must begin and end with prayer. We must meditate on the Word wherever we go and do not lose faith in the children of God.
What does rest mean? It has the meaning of letting go of your hands and looking back at yourself in your daily life, where you could not look back on yourself because you were so engrossed in your work. What does it mean to look at yourself? It's about looking at your own soul. Then, even if it is not in the mountains, fields, seas and valleys, any place where you stay with the Lord can be a resting place. A quiet space where you can take a break from the noise of everyday life can be a real resting place.
Wherever you are, with the help of the Holy Spirit, take time to empty yourself and quietly listen to the voice of the Lord. Have a time of re-creation to find your true self in the Word and praise. No matter where you are, do not lose the bond of fellowship with the Lord.
3. Be salt and light everywhere.
It is true that we want to enjoy freedom by becoming a hidden name by leaving home in order to be free and going to a place we do not know well. will be
Jesus told us.
You are the salt of the world.
If salt loses its taste, with what shall it be salted? (Matthew 5:13)
You are the light of the world...
Let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good deeds
Give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14,16)
In the words of the salt of the world, you will know what Jesus wants of our saints. Salt has no color, no taste, no smell, no shape, in its own form. It is a substance whose existence value arises only when something permeates into another. Therefore, the word of this Lord, which said that you are the salt of the world, becomes clear. It means to live with devotion wherever you are. Like salt that melts oneself, gives meaning to others, gives taste, and gives life, believers are to live as they are, wherever they are.
Dear brothers and sisters, wherever you are, I hope that you will shake off your selfish heart and become more relaxed, humble and devoted people. I hope that you will not become salt that has lost its taste just because you go on vacation or go to a place you don't know.
Not only that, but look great wherever you are and whatever you do. That's what the light looks like. The Lord does not tell us to be salt, but to be light. Salt creates the image of a Christian in the form of sacrifice and devotion that melts away, but light, on the contrary, refers to revealing a wonderful image to the world. Light cannot be hidden. I hope that it will become a light in the form of a wonderful life, a beautiful family, and a happy family. I hope that you will be the light that boasts of the gospel everywhere and that you are a true Christian wherever you are.
4. Act with pride as a man of God.
Who are we? They are God's people.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood,
A holy nation, a people for his own possession... (1 Peter 2:9),
But you, man of God, avoid these
after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness,
Fight the good fight of faith. take eternal life (1 Timothy 6:11-12)
The descendants of a family with a skeleton do not lose their dignity wherever they are. Who are you? They are God's people. They are holy men chosen by God, a royal priesthood. You are not of the world, but of God, and not of the earth, but of the heavens. Therefore, I hope that you will become dignified believers anytime, anywhere with pride. Please stand in front of everyone in the form of an upright saint. When you do, your soul will be strengthened through the holidays, and you will enjoy the joy of gaining many testimonies.
Dear brothers and sisters, if you have an opportunity to leave your home and go to an unfamiliar place, please remember this fact and keep the image of a man of God wherever you are. In this way, I pray in the name of the Lord that you will become beautiful saints who can receive abundant rest physically, receive true peace spiritually, and reveal the true Christian image among others.