Sermon(Rom 12:3-13): The worker of God

The original Korean text: https://blog.naver.com/stevision/50025286585

 

 

Scripture reading: Rom 12:3-13

 

>> 3 For by the grace given to me I bid every one among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith which God has assigned him. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; he who teaches, in his teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who contributes, in liberality; he who gives aid, with zeal; he who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. 9 Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; 10 love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality. <<

 

Jesus said, "No one born of a woman is greater than John the Baptist." John the Baptist was the last prophet of the Old Testament. John was the one who prepared the way of the Lord. John the Baptist was the one who put aside the barrier between the God who came into the world and humans who were on the earth, and made a straight and wide road. He told those who were longing for the Savior at that time that Jesus was the Savior whom God had promised in the old days and whom he sent to them then, and he taught them that Jesus' office as Savior was the scapegoat rather than the worldly king. “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (Jn 1:29)” When people asked John if he was Christ (the King or the Savior), he answered, "I am not the Christ," and he said, "I am the one who cry out in the wilderness to straighten the way of the Lord, as the prophet Isaiah said." He baptized people as a symbol of repentance, hereby he prepared them for the reception of the Savior, because the kingdom of heaven was near. He recognized Jesus the Christ and sought to do him a deserved courtesy, but he (Jesus) was baptized by John.

 

The baptism Jesus received from John symbolizes his succession to the Yahweh faith of the Old Testament. This shows that the New Testament is built on the foundation of the Old Testament. With this Jesus shows that all the letters of the law of Old Testament are valid. John the Baptist used his fame and spiritual capacity only to prove that Jesus was the Christ. It might not be easy for John the prophet, who was so revered by all, to acknowledge, and to show respect to Jesus, a rustic from Nazareth, before many people. But John was not greedy of honor. John was humble before the truth. John did not object to the revelation from God. John did not pay much attention to curing people's illnesses. What he did mainly was to reprove the sins of people and to baptize them for washing of sins. The cure of illness is the ministry of recovery, which, he thought, was not his ministry but Jesus'. At young age, this Baptist, John, had to pay his life for the short dancing of a young girl. Because it was his duty to die a humble death. As a result of his humble death, people's interest in him has disappeared and people's attention begins to focus on Jesus whom he has identified as Christ. Jesus' full-scale ministry begins after the death of John the Baptist. Sometimes the insulting death itself is used as an important menas in the kingdom of God. The best of humility is to thank God even about the shabby death.

 

Today's text of the Bible teaches us that God's workers should think and act within the measure of faith which God has assigned them. The Bible tells us that we must not talk or act beyond the authority or power set by God. “I bid every one among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith which God has assigned him. (v. 3)” We see a good example for that in John the Baptist. People thought him to be the savior, but he utterly denied it, and he never tried to transgress the line God had set. A great servant of the God is one who never crosses over his limits (of authority). He who goes beyond the limits God has set becomes the least in the world, rather than the greatest. Look at David. His limit was to build a very good country. He tried to make a splendid temple of God, but he followed God's words without complaint when God forbade him. David was a great servant of God. on the contrary, look at king Saul. When he became a king, he wanted to possess the priesthood as well and offered sacrifices to God, but had to walk in the path of miserable doom. Above of all, brethren, do not covet the priesthood! My brethren, have you seen in the Bible good priests who are good politicians also? There are no such men. Today some pastors, after they become rich, intend to engage in political activities. How wretched do they look? Don't go unless it is a permitted road. Satan tempted man to go the way he should not go, through the snake. If you are planning to do something now and you often see snakes in your dreams, give up the plan, because it is a path that almost 100 percent God doesn't allow. Don't think, 'The demon has shown me a snake in my dream, and he is disturbing me to hinder me from doing the work of God.' I was longing to go a certain way and waited for God's answer about it. But one day, there was a snake on the way to the place where I had been longing to go, in my dream. And after several days, it was the middle of the day on a street. I walked the street, thinking about the plan, and there was actually a snake right in front of me. And again after a few days, I was walking a street, thinking about it, and there was actually a snake in front of me on the street in a city. I had been waiting for the answer from God about my plan, and I made up my mind to give up the plan after such experiences. The symbol of God's permission in the dream is to immerse oneself in a clear stream (water) up to the neck or to swim across the clear stream. Clear water symbolizes the Holy Spirit. If you have a good spiritual relationship with God, you can find the meanings of many signs, which you meet in your life, in the Bible. Nevertheless, do not believe your dream 100%. But you may consult it. If you ask God's will in prayer every day, he tells you his will in one way or another. However, sometimes I thought I heard a positive answer, but after a while I found God's will in a different direction. We are human beings. For a man, his desires can be expressed in dreams, and the words of his autosuggestion may come to his mind. Do not take them for God's will. Sometimes you pray to God but he doesn't respond. Then, even if you keep moving in the direction you want, you are not guilty. That is the process you need now. It was allowed by God. And when the process is over, God will show you another way. Those who are willing to obey God's will can always discern God's will. For those who do not want to submit to God's will, all their wild thoughts are transformed into big, lofty dreams, and all the signs of the world are indicative of their success. And then they go down the path of decline. (God is looking into your deep mind to see if you are obedient!)

 

It is important that those who do God's work do not exceed the limits that God has set. In addition to this, it is also important that we fulfill our mission enthusiastically. What is important here is the right relationship with other Christians. We must not forget that each of us is a member of the body whose head is Jesus Christ. When we work with many people, there must be harmony and cooperation to accomplish the will of Jesus. We must not fight with one another for a higher position or use our power to keep our dignity and authority. Let us consider Moses and Aaron. God made Aaron, who was Moses' elder brother, Moses' subordinate. All Israelites, men and women, young and old, subjected themselves humbly to Moses when they saw Aaron serve his younger brother Moses as his master and do his part well. ‘Moses' elder brother Aaron is so obedient to Moses. Shouldn't we obey Moses more?’ Moses was a king and prophet, and Aaron was a priest. Moses received new instructions from God, and Aaron was a good follower and keeper of Moses' instructions. once Moses' elder brother Aaron and elder sister Miriam questioned Moses' exclusive leadership, saying that they, too, had the equal authority as Moses, but they were severely rebuked by God. However, they kept their position without other grave faults. How painful could it be for Aaron to serve his younger brother as his superior? But Aaron was the second in rank in Israel. So it can not be a complaint for Aaron to have his younger brother as his superior. Let us also see the generations after Moses and Aaron. God ordained that Moses' office (kingship) should go to not his son but Joshua while Aaron's divine office (priesthood) should go to his descendents forever. Aaron might shed many tears in heart while he worked with his younger brother who was his superior. But he got the blessing that his descendents would be glorified forever! It's a fair game. Like this, if you, respecting the order (the system) God has established, keep a good relationship with other Christians and do work of God well, you'll be blessed with the blessing that your descendents will be prosperous and successful forever. So, for the sake of your offsprings, you'd better not argue with your pastor about everything. (Your obedience, cooperation, and devotion are the source of blessings of you and your descendants.) My beloved brethren, think of Aaron, Moses' elder brother, and be blessed with Aaron's blessing.

 

The good relationship between Moses and Aaron demonstrates well how the relationship between theology and the church should be. Some proud theologians present a theology that goes against the Bible and the tradition of Church, and are excommunicated or are under heavy criticism. Sometimes, some religious communities of old days would reject new ideas about the God and the church, and then they were forsaken by God. This is the case of the priests and the Pharisees in Jesus' day. They rejected Jesus Christ the Savior whom God had sent, and were cursed and forsaken by God. Moses-theology is the theology that receives new truths from God and proclaims them. Aaron-theology (church tradition) is the theology that keeps what were accepted by the church. Aaron theology should reject pseudo-Moses-theology and expel it from Christianity. New ideas that are not truths must be rejected by the church. However, a new Moses theology that God gives to the new age must be accepted by the church as a truth and a new tradition. If the church rejects the new truth, it will be deserted like the Pharisees. But, the new Moses theology is the truth that succeeded and developed the past. A new theological thought that denies the past absolutely is a thought given by the Devil. The typical example for this is the sophistry of pseudo-theology that the church should accept homosexuality. This evil thought must be decisively rejected by the church. The church must also firmly reject any attempt to invalidate the Sabbath. The church must firmly preserve the (good) tradition that wife should obey and honor her husband. The typical Moses theology is the notion (in the age of polytheism) that Jehovah the God of Israel is the only true god, the notion (in Israel where monotheism was a predominant idea) that Jesus Christ, too, is the God, the notion that man can gain eternal life only if he believes in Jesus, and the notion that the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are the Trinity. At first these thoughts of Moses theology suffered much resistance, but at last became the dominant thoughts of the world. Because they are the (living) truth! Who can (suppress) and confine the truth?

 

Today's Bible text tells us about the mindset and attitude of the worker of God as follows: 1. Humility (Don't be impertinent.), 2. Harmony and cooperation with others (Think that each of us is a member of the body (of Jesus).), 3. Sincerity, diligence and joy (v. 8), 4. Love for God and brethren (v. 9, 10), 5. Hate for the wickedness (v. 9), 6. Mutual love and respect (v. 10), 7. Hope, 8. Patience, 9. Prayer (v. 12). But you can do God's work with joy if the work suits your aptitude. What if God entrust you with a task that doesn't befit you? But it's just your thought. Moses and Paul had no oratorical talent so that they hesitated to do what God wanted them to do, but they accomplished their mission very well. Do you do God's work only with the talent of speaking? No! And above all, Moses and Paul were the ones who proclaimed new truth coming form God. And they were the ones who should not add their thoughts to the new truth. Eloquent speakers tend to add their ideas. However, poor speakers can faithfully convey what they heard by their ears. Moses and Paul were the ones who heard God's words and conveyed them. And I think they were very good at writing because they were highly educated. So they are well qualified to receive the word of God and record it to future generations. on the other hand, priest Aaron was very eloquent. He needed the talent of speaking in order to explain well God's word delivered by Moses to the people. (God gave him the talent!) So do not worry that your work does not fit your aptitude. Do not worry too much, because your present appearance, personality and talent are perfect as God's tool. “Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances - this is the will of God.” The best virtue that you can show as a worker of God is obedience. Brethren, whatever task the God will give you, obey him and boldly take it on, saying "Amen!" Success and victory are already yours.

 

May God give you health, wisdom and firm faith, so that you will be able to fulfill your mission well. May you be a loyal worker and receive a crown of life. In all things, may God help you who are eager to do the work of God. Amen. Hallelujah!

 

 

Chong Tack Kim

 

                                      - Dongtoma Sunshine Church -