Sermons

14th February 2021 Transfiguration Sunday Title: God’s Glory & My Beloved Son (2 Kings 2:1-12; Mark 9:2-9) By Heeyoung Lim 
 There are many connections between Moses and Elijah in the Bible such as the separation of water, fire from heaven, meeting the Lord on Mount Sinai, and so on. The two leaders ended their earthly lives in remarkable ways, and they are associated with each other on the Mount of Jesus’ transfiguration in Mark 9. Regarding the separation of water, the Red Sea and the Jordan River are different, but God was at His work in the same way. They were wonderful leaders, both had important successors (Joshua and Elisha) who extended the work the Lord had given them to do and experienced amazing moments. God made them leaders and witnesses for God’s work. During Elijah and Elisha’s walking and talking, a chariot of fire and something else appeared and separated the two of them. Elijah’s departure happened through supernatural intervention. The history of interpretation for this text focuses on Elijah’s ascension and its relation to his unended life. Elijah’s ascension signifies hope and presence of the spirit’s continuation since he was taken up without dying, (2 Kings 2:12) Chariots and horses were military symbols, but they represented God himself as the ultimate protection of his people. There were special words and meaning we need to remember in today’s text. Those were “Stay here” from Elijah & “I will not leave you.” From Elisha. Elijah gave Elisha three opportunities to leave, and each time Elisha said no at a respectful distance. The loss of Elijah did not prevent Elisha from what must be done because it was not a person’s ministry but God’s. Elisha’s faithfulness provides inspiration in a world of disposable relationships and temporary loyalties. His faithfulness to the process allowed and influenced his transformation. Transfiguring by faithful journey will be connected to transformation. A dying man would traditionally say a blessing over his successors in those days. The leadership will pass on to Elisha from Elijah as it had been done from Moses to Joshua. When Elijah was asked about the blessing, Elisha replied, let me inherit a double portion of your spirit. (7) It was Elisha’s response after Elijah’s blessing. Elisha knew that he had been appointed to be Elijah’s successor (1 Kgs. 19:19-21). But he needed Elijah’s God-given empowerment for the task. (2 Kings 2:7) The departure of Elijah into heaven was filled with divine symbolism, and God had enabled Elisha to witness the departure of his mentor. (7,13) We need more than God’s appointment for a position; we need to be anointed through His Spirit. That means spiritual condition is more important than our ministry position. Position without power, is a burden not a blessing. Every single person is precious, and all roles are important in our lives and our service, but our trust and focus need to be on the Lord alone. When God gives opportunities, our primary concern needs to be integrity and faithfulness to the Lord, not the impression we are making on others. We need to focus on the God of people, not the people of God. While Elijah may have departed, everything of God remained. Israel’s need was not Elijah but the Lord. Elisha’s focus was on the God of the man, not the man. He had been given not only Elijah’s position but his power as well. Our need is also not just being appointed by God to a position but being anointed by Him to carry out His missional tasks. In the reign of God, strength comes from weakness, glory from despair. We can invite people to be transformed and transfigured inside out under God’s protection. Today’s text from the Gospel of Mark is about a transfiguration story on the mountain. What is it like on a mountain top? Some of us may have driven or climbed to a mountain lookout. I have been to the height with 1708 meter of Seorak-San (Mountain), 1947 meter of Halla San (Mountain) and so many mountains, and I had lots of hiking opportunities in South Korea. I can remember sitting on top of a mountain looking at God’s beautiful creations and thinking of God’s love. Those were good chances to spend time with God and others with a thankful heart. Jesus was on the mountain with His disciples. When people were speculating that Jesus is one of the prophets, Peter confessed that Jesus is the Messiah. (8:29) Crucifixion and resurrection go together in Mark’s Gospel. Crucifixion is in Jesus’ future, but God’s glory and power are his as well. (Mark 9:9) Jesus knew that he would be rejected and killed by people, but he will rise on the third day and return in glory. Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain. He was indeed clothed in the dazzling light of God on the mountain. The Transfiguration gave the disciples the experience of witnessing a most amazing moment that attracts them to want to stay there. The appearance of Moses and Elijah from the Scriptures represent the Law and the Prophets, but Jesus is higher and greater than the law and the two representatives. The transfiguration of Jesus reveals his true glory. Jesus on the mountain with Moses and Elijah is not transformed but transfigured before his disciples. Transformation is more about complete inner change, but transfiguration is more about the change of appearance. One of the differences between transformation and transfiguration is vision. However, His transfiguration transforms the disciples by witnessing in the text and transforms us by removing our biased and limited vision in our lives. Jesus’ disciples are confronted with Jesus’ glory three times in the Gospel of Mark: First, the feeding of the 5,000 (6:47–52), then seeing Jesus transfigured (9:2–9), and the resurrection of Jesus. (16:1–8) Peter, James, and John saw the glory of the Lord by Jesus’ transfiguration. In the transfiguration story, from the cloud there

7th February 2021 Fifth Sunday After the Epiphany Title: God’s Protection & Jesus’ Healing (Isaiah 40:21-31; Mark 1:29-39) By Heeyoung Lim 
 The holy God is our Creator, He brings comfort and renewed strength to his people. At the beginning of Isaiah 40, a call went out to comfort the people who have been exiled from their homeland, those who are tired and weary, experiencing trouble thinking of a new future. In verses 21-24, there are questions and rebukes, “Have you not known?”, “Have you not heard?” People did not feel God’s protection and His creative power, but today’s text proclaims God’s power that will make this vision a reality.  Isaiah tells us God is more than one who brings punishment and judgment, He is also the one who brings comfort. We need to be aware of the importance of God’s power and humanity’s powerlessness in our lives. Our powerful, caring God will provide people with strength to overcome their difficulties when darkness enters every person’s life. We sometimes see no way out of the situation we face, but God will make a way for us. We may have reasons to fear evil as we acknowledge the existence of evil, however because we are under God’s protection, we fully trust that God will keep us safe, as God is with us even in the darkest moments. I hope we can trust in our comforter and His promise to save us even when we are suffering. We can ask God for strength to continue serving Him and others when we are weak and tired of doing good. God is telling us through Isaiah. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint. (29-31) We shared Jesus’ first exorcism last Sunday, Jesus could have stayed in Capernaum more and become a local hero in many people’s problems and demands for the purpose of being popular. However, he decided to move on to another ministry of healing. As soon as Jesus left the Capernaum synagogue, Jesus went into a house, a private place for women because the synagogue gathering was for men in those days. The house belonged to Simon and Andrew, and Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever. Jesus healed the woman, and she served Jesus and his disciples straight-away. Every patient needs to rest to be completely recovered, but how come the healed woman’s first response to serve Jesus and his disciples? The fact that she got up and served immediately indicates that the woman was fully healed at once or she might be expected to serve in her culture. Jesus healed the woman and set her free from her fever and her service was a faithful response which is a way to show respect and gratitude to her healer. What a miracle. Jesus describes himself as one who came to serve, and he commends humble service to us. (10:45) We can imagine the scenes from Scriptures, Jesus was busy to spread the gospel and to heal many people including another exorcism in both private and public places, He encountered a few people or big crowds in various situations. But He went into the dark desert to pray seeking God’s will. Jesus showed us the way to live out the gospel. Our lives and service need to be in prayers just like Jesus. The sacrificial servant continued his ministry with His disciples, He also got crowds to hear the good news of the gospel. (29) Jesus did not allow the demons to speak in verse 25, he did not want them to have power over him. They are forbidden by Jesus. We encountered Jesus’ first healing when He raised up Simon’s mother-in-law. The verb to “raise up” is used in healing stories several times in Mark. (1:31, 2:9, 2:11, 3:3, 5:41, 9:27.) The healing of the woman is the first healing and the echo of resurrection story in the gospel. Mark’s gospel invites us to look for experiences of healing and resurrection in everyday life. We believe that we will be resurrected in God’s timing, but we can live the life of resurrection here and now restarting and getting up even from the deep abyss of despair and anxiety. Jesus did not just heal individuals, but also, He restored people’s relationships and communities. Even the unaccompanied woman in the crowd was healed by touching Jesus. “Who touched me?”, he said and looked around to see who has done it. Jesus said to her “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your disease.” All we are His daughter or son, and Jesus is looking around to see you. That is one of reasons that we are not alone, Jesus is always with us. The LORD is the everlasting God. We can walk through the toughest situations without giving up because the unchangeable fact that the LORD knows, recreates, and strengthen us. God brings comfort and renewed strength to us. That is why those who place their hope in the LORD find new strength. We will be able to soar like eagles to new heights of achievement under God’s protection. (Isaiah 40:27) Jesus had his own private place to pray. Do we have our own special place? We all need to find our own time and place to fill our hearts and pray once again. Jesus is our healer. I believe Jesus will touch our broken hearts and anxious minds. We are all going through different situations and tough times, but we can still travel, rebuild, and trust in the Lord. It requires energy and strength when we are on a journey of faith, but those can be ways to move forward into the new creation that the LORD has created and in further

31st January 2021 
Fourth Sunday After the Epiphany Title: Jesus’ Authority & Christian Freedom (1 Corinthians 8:1-13; Mark 1:21-28) By Heeyoung Lim 
 Today is the fourth Sunday after Epiphany. I hope the light of Epiphany will shine upon all of us. When you think of your school days, what do you remember the most? Do you remember a special teacher? How much of the contents in all the teachings and sermons, do you remember from all your preachers? Most likely not that much. Mark tells us that Jesus preaches, but he gives us little of the content of Jesus’ sermons. It focuses on who Jesus is. Teaching focuses are more about relationship and existence rather than information and content in many cases. This story is about food sacrificed to idols. In the Greek culture of Paul’s day, families often participated in religious sacrifices, offering sacrificial animals in pagan temples. Corinthians said to Paul. “We all possess knowledge.” The knowledge is that idols were nothing and that there is only one God, but not everyone understood it. They have not realized that human knowledge is fragmentary. Knowledge can result in humility and love, but often it produces unsympathetic arrogance. Love always builds us up while knowledge often make us arrogant. Paul wanted the Corinthians to place a priority on love, not on knowledge and he said, “whoever loves God is known by God.” (1 Corinthians 8:1, 3) What a blessing! You are known by God because you love God. Today’s text indicates the primacy of love over knowledge, and it is connected to believers’ behaviour. There could be no problem with eating the meat offered to idols since it had been offered to something that did not exist. (4) In comparison with Jesus, demons need not be feared because they are nothing under Jesus’ name. That is why Paul felt free to permit the Corinthians to eat meat sacrificed to idols. However, Paul insisted that their proper theological conclusions did not justify their deeds. They sinned by eating meat sacrificed to idols, it was not because of the idols, but because of the damage to fellow believers. (7) Paul is pastorally concerned for those with weak consciences, so he led the Corinthians to restrain their behaviour, and he warned that the freedom might become a stumbling block to the weak. (9) We have great freedom in the gospel, but we need to be aware of our weaker brothers and sisters in Christ. Christian freedom needs to be sacrificed when it leads others to sin. We sin against Christ if we cause other believers to sin. Using knowledge of Christ is necessary to avoid sin because proper theological knowledge can lead us away from sinning against Christ, others, and ourselves. Christian freedom grows as Christian understanding grows, but our freedom should be in consideration of others and communities. People try to limit other’s freedom according to their prejudice, fixed idea, and stereotypes, but Christians must not resent or condemn those who are involved with the differences. The freedom of individuals and communities in the gospel need to be respected by weaker brothers and sisters in Christ too, because the freedom in the gospel is greater than our own. To do this we need to seek to improve our Christian understanding, have openness to others and to love one another. God’s words and truth needs to be kept in any situation, but ways of keeping it should be in love and consideration. We need to have freedom in truth and love in communities if we are part of God’s family. Mark 1 talks about “who Jesus is?” more than the contents of Jesus’ teaching. The cultural distance between the past and the present challenges for interpretation regarding today’s text. On the Sabbath Jesus enters the synagogue and begins teaching. The people who heard him teach were amazed, “for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” (Mark 1: 21,22) They had never experienced such authority and they were utterly amazed. We can imagine a scene in a Capernaum synagogue which has worship, teaching, and the community are gathered. There would be possible questions of Jesus’ authority. For instance, “For whom does he speak and act?”, “Who has authorized his ministry? “, and “Is he really sent by God?” The service from the synagogue was interrupted by the cries of a man who was possessed by an evil spirit. Here the voice was not from heaven, it came from the unclean spirit. Immediately Jesus was encountered by Satan, but it became an opportunity to show his authority over the power of Satan. The man’s personality had been damaged, and his existence was under the demon’s control. (23) The question “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? shows that there was more than one demon possessing the man and causing him to cry out. The demons with the unclean spirit found Jesus, and clearly recognized the authority and mission of Jesus. Jesus ordered the demon to “be quiet” as he commands the sea to “be still”. He rebuked the unclean spirit and the sea. (Mark 4:30) Jesus healed the man, and His exorcism represented a demonstration of authority. It results in healing and restoration, and the people were amazed once again. (27) Those who witness it are utterly amazed both by the authority of his teaching and his authority over the unclean spirits. The impact of his actions causes his reputation to grow throughout Galilee. (28) The command to come out of him has meanings that God’s enemies are beginning to be defeated, and the rule over the world is about to end. It is the conflict between the power of evil and the power of God in this battlefield of life. There are times when Jesus’ teaching causes conflict with the authority in those in religious and political power. But here he is causing conflict with the powers of darkness. Jesus is not just healing a suffering man. He is challenging

24th January 2021 
Third Sunday After the Epiphany Title: God’s Love & The Kingdom of God (Jonah 3:1-10; Mark 1:14-20) By Heeyoung Lim Today is the third Sunday after the Epiphany. I hope the light of Epiphany will shine upon all of us. Jonah’s story includes several reversals and contrasts between human actions and the divine will. Jonah volunteers to be tossed into the stormy sea to save the lives of the Gentile crew after trying to save his own life by running away to Tarshish disobeying God’s mission for him to Nineveh. Today’s text starts “The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time”, and the command is “Get up, go to Nineveh, and proclaim my message.” (Jonah 3:1) God did not leave him in the opposite direction of the divine will, He gave Jonah an opportunity to repent and turn away from his sin. As we know a big fish is used for Jonah’s repentance and God’s salvation. God brought new ways to fulfill His will and He was at work for the salvation of the Ninevites. (10) Jonas’ story portrays God as persistent, and we can see God’s persistence through Jonah’s journey. Jonah cried out, “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” (4) The people of Nineveh believed God, and they turned from their evil ways. (5-9) There was an urgency from God to love and save Nineveh, but Jonah in disobedience, was not aware of this and instead spent God’s time running away. We do not know what exactly this urgency is, but God leads us to the right path for His love and salvation. God wants to cure our prejudice against Nineveh and take off the greed to our own Tarshish, He accepts repentance and obedience from sinners. The Ninevites’ immediate response in repentance also stands in contrast to Jonah’s initial refusal to follow God’s command. It was the conversion of an entire population from their social sins, and their sincere prayer, immediate repentance, and sudden changes of actions influenced God. God saw what they did, and He changed the promise of punishment to Nineveh. In this context, God responds individuals differently, He can turn back from his decision to destroy peoples or nations when they repent and obey him. We are in God’s sight, and we are witnesses of the merciful response of God. God’s love and salvation are for everyone, and His love is much bigger than his anger. I believe God extends forgiveness to the repentant people with love, and He gives us his mission and expects his people to carry it out. Where is our Nineveh? What is our life-saving fish? God is listening to our prayer and He responds to us. It is time for us to repent and get up to somewhere in accordance with the word of the LORD just like Jonah and the Ninevites. God is persevering, responsive, and merciful to all who repent, as His redemption is further revealed and continued in Mark. I trust that we will rejoice with its mission in immediate repentance and delightful obedience. Today’s passage of Mark starts “now after John was arrested, so Mark’s audience knew the risks involved with giving themselves to repent, to begin a new life, and to be led by the Holy Spirit, and they realised courage is needed in their faith. Last Sunday I shared Jesus called Philip and Nathanael. In today’s story he calls four fishermen at the Sea of Galilee – Simon, Andrew, James, and John. The four in today’s story were fishermen. As far as we know, every one of the disciples was chosen and called individually by Jesus. First disciples were from the northern side of Galilee; not from the capital of Israel. Jesus did not do background checks to determine their intelligent levels, financial status, professional skills, talents and or excellences. The disciples also followed Jesus before he has performed any miracles. They immediately respond as Jesus recruits his first disciples, and they will be “fishers of people” according to his words. They are called to a totally uncertain future, but they immediately followed Jesus. How do we answer Christ’s call to become “fishers of people?” Some people love fishing because it gives relaxation and fun, and they may have their own folding chair and fishing spot. But in Jesus’ day, fishing was not relaxing, it was a job that was physically and mentally challenging, requiring an individual to go beyond their limits to make a living. What is fishing in our faith and life? A fish dies when taken out of the water, which can be interpreted as a death to the world. The fishing of people can have the meaning of rescuing them from the snares of sins. The purpose of Jesus’ call to discipleship is not to take people out of a tough world, promising them a better life in God’s heavenly kingdom. Fishing is a special mission that need catching in a net and dragging into the kingdom of God by the grace of the Lord. It sometimes requires patience and knowledge of who we are trying to catch, but the most important thing is that loving God embrace all people. Believers can trust in God’s Word, and He is faithful to do what he has promised. Jesus begins his ministry by proclaiming the “good news” of the gospel, which is that “the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near” Jesus repeats the message of John the Baptist, “Repent and believe in the good news.” (15) The message was that God’s kingdom was near which may include of fast approaching, so people had to prepare for it by repenting and believing in the good news. We do not know when Jesus will come again in the future or our last day on the earth, but we know that we need to seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness, and all things will be given to you as well.

17th January 2021 
Second Sunday After the Epiphany Title: Glorify God as Disciples (1 Corinthians 6:12-20; John 1:43-51) By Heeyoung Lim Today’s text is about learning to use the human body for the right intention and purpose. What is the body for? For the Lord! The Corinthians believed that they were free of all rules governing their behaviour and Corinth was stained with sin and soaked in a corrupt culture. Their dualistic notion that God would destroy the body but save the spirit led them to believe that sexual behaviour could not count as sin. AII things are lawful for me,” but not all things are beneficial. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. (1 Corinthians 6:12) Paul tried to teach them about the freedom to follow God and love others as Christians in this situation, and he insisted the freedom came from belonging to Christ like the mention of “you are not your own.” Belonging to Christ means we should orient our behaviour towards glorifying God, and everything we do needs to be beneficial in the Christian communities according to Paul. It is not principally to individuals, but to the fellow believers and faith communities of which we are part. God’s law is far much bigger and greater than that of humans, and God does not depend on satisfying the law. We are not attached to live only for life matters such as personal career, wealth, power, reputation, etc. These things are influential in our lives, but everything needs to be extended into a broader context such as community, social justice, and the kingdom of God. I think human life is well fitted when it is opened toward the larger reality of God and God’s glory, because life itself is within God’s plan. Today’s text contains my life confessions, one is “not all things are beneficial”, and the other is “I will not be dominated or enslaved by anything”. (12) In fact, our bodies are members of Christ that will not be destroyed but will experience resurrection as Christ was. (15) God raised Jesus and will raise us too. Anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him, and His body becomes “a temple of the Holy Spirit”. (17,19) Christian’s relationship with the Lord Jesus is not just spiritual, but also physical. There could be lots of temptations regarding our body in our society. God allows us Christian freedom, but we are put into the right relationship with God by grace in Christ anywhere and anytime. The whole church is also God’s new temple, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, which makes people into believers and helps them to live as such Christians and Christian communities. For you were bought with a price; therefore, glorify God in your body. (20) We are not our own, conversely, we are God’s. This is the reason why we live and die for him. Our lives are given by God and we are called to worship and glorify God. I hope we can commit to God so that His wisdom will lead and rule all our words and actions, and I believe we can live out the Gospel to glorify God in our existence. All the parts of our life belong to God, and we are “to present our bodies to God as a living sacrifice”. (Rom. 12:1) One of the ways for glorifying God is to be responsible to God, we are the ones who love and worship God. We are in the house of God when we are with Jesus, and we can glorify God in our body. I hope we can all discover how to live the human life which brings glory to God. The story of the Gospel of John is not just about John, Peter, Andrew, Philip, and Nathanael, it is about Jesus. Jesus here is deciding not just where to go next but whom to take with him. He is selecting followers.   Jesus invited Andrew and Peter to go to Galilee with him and Jesus “found” Philip and more. Philip followed Jesus straightaway, then told Nathanael Jesus finds Philip, and Philip finds Nathanael, and Philip makes the best possible invitation for spreading the Gospel, and he takes Nathanael (also called Bartholomew) directly to Jesus and says to Nathanael, “Come and see.” Gospel is basically passed person to person, and now we have more ways to spread Gospel in this media environment. Jesus calls many not just one, He calls our church and faith communities. In the middle of today’s text, there was Nathanael’s question: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”. (46) Nathanael is honest enough to express his amazement that God’s Messiah could come from an insignificant village. When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” (47) Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” (48) Jesus knows everything and we are witnessing that Jesus calls us. He sees and knows us, and He can read our hearts as Jesus saw him under the fig tree, and He knew who he was and noticed him. Nathanael declared Jesus the Son of God and added, “You are the King of Israel.” (49) Jesus seems surprised since he responds and said, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?” What is our declaration? We do not know what exactly and suddenly transformed Nathaniel’s view of Jesus from doubting to great confession, but we know the epiphanies of Christ come to different people in such different ways. Epiphanies can be a transformation period through meetings and conversations with Jesus. May we be able to please our Lord through the transformation of faith and life. Jesus said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19) Most of us are

10th January 2021 
BAPTISM OF THE LORD (FIRST SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY) Title: The Baptism of Jesus in The Blessed Trinity (Genesis 1:1-5; Mark 1:4-11) By Heeyoung Lim Today’s scripture is the very first chapter of the Bible, as God is the Creator of this world. (Genesis 1:1) God said, “let there be light, and there was light”. (3) Light and water from Genesis 1 reminds us of the eternity in which God dwells within. God’s creation brought order from chaos, emptiness, and darkness, and it has continued to fertility and fullness in the great plan of God. (2) As sufferings and struggles are all around us, the lights come up instead of going down, because we live in the light of God’s word. We can practice the great lightness of being that separates night and day. God also brings the healing of the waters in our lives. (5) Things came to life whenever God spoke, God’s words are enough to make things come to life in a way that God is pleased. (3) God said, “very Good!” after the creation. God may not always do what we want, but He always does his work for us on time just like His creation. Jesus has a connection back to the waters of creation when he is later baptized in heaven-opening event. He does what God did in the beginning and reopens the world and recreates us in our present lives. (5) I believe Today and 2021 will be a renewal day and year in heaven-opening event by the power of God’s recreation. In Mark 1, Jesus trusts the power of God to keep on creating order out of chaos when he steps down into the waters of the Jordan descending from above with the Holy Spirit. Mark is the earliest and shortest of the Gospels, and it is written for Gentile readers, especially Romans. Mark opened his Gospel by confessing that Jesus was the Son of God. (1) Mark presents Jesus as the ultimate servant, and he emphasizes what Jesus was doing rather than what he was saying. It clearly shows Christ as a servant of action, and more than half of miracles of all thirty-five written miracles have been introduced in the Gospel of Mark. One of key messages of Mark is 10:45. “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” In the background of today’s passage, John’s preaching of a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins was highly unusual for a Jew, because Jews thought that only Gentile need to be baptised when they convert to Judaism. John criticized the people for guessing to be righteous just because they were children of Abraham. We know people would be rejected if they do not bear fruits of repentance. (4, Matthew 3:7-12) The baptism by John was a baptism of repentance, and it is about repentance and forgiveness. Israel was being asked to turn away from its disobedience and to start anew by turning toward the coming Messiah, Jesus. They would be forgiven from their sins and would experience God’s grace through Jesus. (4) John was getting people ready as a messenger. Today’s Scripture invites us to bear fruit of repentance by turning away from something bad and turning in a new direction that God is pleased. It is time to acknowledge our disobedience and rebellion toward God first if we have, and need to confess our sins The location of the baptism was the Jordan River, which was several miles outside Jerusalem. (5) Do we walk our own several miles for faith? The road to God is not that far, but there would be a time to walk in a long distance for a long time. Where is our Jordan River? It can be the time and space of baptism. John made it clear that he was the servant of the coming Servant, and his task was to prepare the way and then got out of the way. (7) “I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit” (Mark 1:8).  There are big differences between the John’s baptism of sinners and the baptism of the sinless Jesus, and a sharp contrast between the ministry of John and of Jesus. What happened to Jesus at his baptism? There was the affirmation of the Spirit of God and God’s voice. Jesus saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. Mark seems to suggest that only Jesus saw the heavens open and the Spirit descend. (10) The word “torn open” is used again in Mark 15:38 indicating a connection between the baptism and crucifixion. Jesus’s baptism is connected to all his ministry. John’s “wilderness” is where the voice cries for Jesus, but Jesus’ wilderness is where he is thrown by the spirit to be tempted, goes to pray (12, 35) and where he feeds the hungry. (Mark 6:31) As Jesus arises from the waters of the Jordan, he sees “the heavens torn apart.” The Spirit and a voice descend in the moment of the baptism of the Lord. (10–11) “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:10) God speaks to Jesus and expresses His love and joy, and Jesus looks to the heavens and the voice calls out in love. (11) There was a divine voice that calls Jesus “Son” and “Beloved” and Mark describes the Spirit “descending like a dove” on Jesus. This is the same voice that speaks over each of us in our baptisms and continuous faith journey. What a wonderful and beautiful scene! What a remarkable beginning regarding Jesus’ ministry! In Jesus’ baptism, the Holy Spirit has the central role. Here is the blessed Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We are also in the blessed Trinity, and we can hear the voice “My son and daughter” and “Beloved” from God, and the

3rd January 2021 Second Sunday After Christmas New Journey in God’s Plan and Action (Psalm 147:12-20; Ephesians 1:3–14) By Heeyoung Lim Happy New Year! I pray we can continue to worship and gather in a COVID-less environment in 2021. As we begin a new year together, may the light of Christ fill our life this whole year. Many of us think of New Year’s Resolutions looking back the past, and plan something good for new year. We can have some questions to ourselves regarding our faith too. For instance, how much time will I spend in prayer, praise, and God’s Word? How my spiritual life will be? Do we expect God will do a new thing for individuals and communities? What is our priority? How it is possible for a person to begin again? The ”new thing” would be better, bigger, greater, and mightier than what we expect in us and our church. New Year’s celebrations provide a bit of excitement trusting God’s plan. Psalm 147 starts and concludes “Praise the Lord!” I hope “Praise the Lord” will be our beginning and the end in 2021. “The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love” (11) The Lord strengthens and protects His people, and He bless their children generation to generation and guards them against the surrounding nations who have endangered them. (12) The people are at peace with one another because God makes peace in our borders. This is God’s grace, and this harmony is from God. (14) All the world is at God’s command, and God’s spoken Word and written Word are all important and powerful. (15) God’s Word is the greatest blessing to us, and obeying it is our greatest response to God. (19) Praise the LORD is the last verse of this Psalm, and God’s people are rightly grateful. Psalm 147 is classified as a Community Hymn, and it is a call to worship as well as a reminder of why we should praise to God. This text also invites to glorify God. There was praise for God’s protection in the text, and it can be called a new exodus or new healing and settling by God’s shalom. We also have our own reason to praise God, and all worship is centred in God who he is and what he has done. (19) Many people would pay for sports, music, and dancing lessons regarding their hobbies if they are affordable. Those lessons would make more vivid life possible for us and for our children. It takes time and can be extended to our work life, but instruction is always necessary. There are many frustrations of installing and using new media and apps in a changeable society. We had to adjust or learn many things such as isolation, wearing masks, and using Zoom. How grateful we are when someone explains clearly and shows us by example how to use the media or apps as we do not know how to do something. God provides us with instruction and directions through His living words for salvation in God’s Plan, and Jesus explains clearly and shows by example how to live out faithfully until the very end before God. How thankful we are when Jesus died on the cross for all of us, and how delightful we are as we have chosen and adopted by God as God’s family. Ephesians is a letter about living together in human differences. Many of Paul’s letters open with thanksgiving for the faith or spiritual gifts of the recipient community. Ephesians includes both a thanksgiving for the community and for God’s action (1:3-23). We have received the blessing of being chosen by God and adopted by him as his spiritual children. We have been chosen for relationship with God in the love, power, and initiative of God. (14) “God chose and adopted us to be saved as God’s children, but He does not choose those who will not be saved
Nobody has been excluded for salvation in God’s love. “God desire all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1Thimothy 2:4) In Today’s Scripture, diverse communities and people are more highlighted than individual believers regarding God’s relationship. God has gifted the community with his blessings in the heavenly places where God is with us and God’s work is shown through Christ. We are weak and shaken, but God wants us to be holy and blameless before God in love together. Our sins are forgiven in him as we believe in Jesus as our Saviour. This does not mean that true Christians never sin, it means our sin is paid for by the death of Christ on the cross. We can be holy and blameless in God’s sight as we are in Jesus. (4) I hope we will all be standing before God holy and blameless when the Lord’s day will come. God gave us blessings to be freed and redeemed from our sins, and He led us into His spiritual family. That is to bring praise to God for grace-filled blessing and his salvation, and it needs to be continued until Christ’s return or the last moment of our life on earth. (12, 14) God is praised in the Today’s scripture for having chosen us as God’s children and adopted the church as God’s own people. The adoption of churches and communities by God is also a blessing and it is an action plan by God. (10,11) In Ephesians 1:5-6, both the goals and the means of God’s planed actions are graciously presented through Jesus. This was accomplished according to God’s delightful will, and the dual goals of God’s plan were adopting us and praising God. (5,6) God made us his children, and it pleased him. God graciously presents his blessing on us so that we would praise God’s grace-filled glory. I hope and pray our appreciation and praise toward God will be soared in our lives in 2021. We

27th December, First Sunday After Christmas Jesus and Blessing in a Faith Community (Isaiah 61:10 – 62:3 & Luke 2:22-40) By Heeyoung Lim Welcome to the first Sunday of the Christmas Day! There are two speakers, the prophet (Isaiah 61:10-11; 62:1-3) and God (61:8-9) in Isaiah 61 and 62, which is related the restoration of Zion. The prophet’s mission is central to Zion’s redemption. The people of Zion will rebuild and repair ruins, not only will the city of Zion be renewed, but it will also once again indicate God’s glory. The God of Isaiah promised a great U-turn of circumstances. The speaker has been changed from God to anointed messenger Isaiah in the form of praise. “I will not be quite until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch” (Isaiah 62:1) There were differences and gaps between promise toward Zion and reality of Jerusalem, but people and history meet the fulfillment of God’s promises as we encountered Jesus, the long-awaited Saviour of the world. The mission given to Isaiah is still needed today, while Christians look forward to Christ’s Second Advent (coming of the Lord) God uses devoted people to reveal his heavenly purposes to provide salvation and redemption for his people and for all the world. It is also presented in Luke 2. Obediently, Mary and Joseph followed all the Jewish customs based on God’s Old Testament and they dutifully took Jesus to Jerusalem for the purification rituals to dedicate him to God as their firstborn. There was the Presentation of Jesus at the temple. (Luke 2:22) Simeon was righteous and devout waiting for God’s divine consolation. He was God-fearing person and took God’s promises seriously. (25) He was in God’s expectations and lived in a right relationship with God. In his daily walk with God, he was led by the Holy Spirit, and he waited obediently for God to keep his promise. (25) Simeon had seen God’s salvation Named Jesus as Mary and Joseph entered the temple with Jesus, and he gave them a blessing they did not expect. (27) The first blessing was praising God, but second blessing was about “fall and rising of many”. (34) In Simeon’s first blessing, Jesus is God’s salvation and a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to people in Israel.” It was spoken to God reminding the fulfillment of God’s promises. (32) Mary and Joseph were amazed when they heard the blessing, but there was an unexpected blessing regarding the fall and rise too. Simeon spoke only to Mary. Jesus suffered and died, and then was raised to glory like the fall and rise blessing. We may just fall and rise, but it should not be constant falling, there would be the rising stage in Jesus. Simeon waited for God to comfort Israel. Jesus is the comfort and consolation for which Israel waited. God’s promise was that Jesus would come before Simeon died. Simeon has waited all his life for this child, and now he can die in peace calmly and confidently. He was far from making the soul despair and he is in an experience of God’s presence and he was simply a dedicated servant of God. Anna was a prophetess, one with great age and experience, having been married seven years and widowed eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. (38) Her life was uneventful, and her gaze was focused on only God’s salvation. She approached the baby Jesus just as Simeon returned him to his parents and recognized what God was doing in the baby Jesus and gave thanks. (36) Anna then turned to other worshipers and spoke her prophetic words about the child Jesus to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. (36) Simeon and Anna have waited a lifetime for perfect peace and meeting Jesus, and the blessings became a new beginning of faith Journey for Joseph and Mary as first-time parents in reminding all parents of the responsibilities. Joseph and Mary were in some uncomfortable situations during their journey, they struggled to get to Bethlehem for the census while there was no room at the inn. Joseph stood by helpless and poor, watching Mary give birth next to animals, but a stable has been prepared by God. It was not earthly blessings. Joseph and Mary witnessed shepherds and others worship him after the divine child’s arrival in the world and took the roles and walked even in the limitations of parents’ social location. They have also experienced the fall and rise under God’s protection. They are given a divine mission to complete in their human flesh as parents, but God had fulfilled his promise, and the salvation is not a human act, it is God’s salvation. The story of Simeon and his interaction with the holy family reminds us of what we communicate and interact in our church. We can also think Anna was with the wisdom of age, the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and a lifetime spent in the temple, and Anna’s coming forward to Jesus reminds us to come closer to people, and her testimony to the other believers and people gives a challenge to testify and spread Gospel. In addition, there was life-long waiting and prayer from Simeon and Anna, and the emotional and spiritual investment in the child Jesus have been done in a temple. There were praising God and blessings for others from the elderly who also need to be respected and loved by others. Jesus is son of his parents and Son of God. He is good news, Saviour, Messiah, the Lord, and the fulfillment of God’s promised redemption, cause of amazement and wonder. However, the human Jesus grew in the ways that all children do, each step of growth preparing him to fulfill God’s eternal mission. (39) We can bless each other like Simeon and tell everyone the good news that God has shared with

25th December, Christmas Service Glory to God in the Birth of Jesus (Luke 2:8-20) By Heeyoung Lim Merry Christmas! Jesus is born! Peace be with you! Jesus came to be with us as our Saviour. Jesus is the promised Messiah and Saviour who brings salvation to people from all classes, races, and nations of the world. His role as Saviour was proclaimed before his birth. We are grateful Jesus’ salvation is intended for all people. There were the Saviour’s Earthly Birth and Heavenly Mission. The story of the shepherds and angels is set at dark and quiet night. Then, suddenly light and singing in the dark and quiet. The first words from angels were “Do not be afraid.” The angel choir brings good news of joy for all people. But the fear comes first, and then the shepherds listen to the song of Good News. Light from the dark and singing from the quite are gifts sent by God. The shepherds heard Good News and experienced God’s grace. When did you hear Good News for the first time? How did you respond to the Good News? Specific time, place, and ways regarding conversion would be all different in accordance with our character, personality, and our faith. There would be gradual conversion, sudden conversion, and crisis conversion, and so on. God’s ways and His timing are also different according to individuals. Many people cannot point the born-again moment when our heart was carried into the presence of Christ. However, all the fear we had were in and out, and the turning point in our lives is not the end, but it is simply a new beginning. God’s glorious angel terrified the shepherds, but quickly brought them reassurance: “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” (10-11) Gospel provokes joy which is the inward feeling of happiness instead of fear. Joy comes to all people, and it comes from God’s gift. In Bethlehem, shepherds were nothing more than the ordinary. They would watch their flocks by night. One of the biggest surprises of Christmas is that shepherds were first to know about the coming of Jesus! God’s messenger could have gone to anyone, but chose the Shepherds, who became the first listener when God had the biggest news of all when they were simply at work. God visited the shepherds through sending angels and lifted them to first witness to his salvation. It happened when shepherds were counting the sheep constantly and looking after them. Shepherds were in love and care, and they responded in worship and praise. Telling the ordinary people first was important. It means that Jesus did not just come to the rich and the high even though the baby in the manger was God himself with all power and all authority under heaven. He came to the poor and the helpless, the sick and the lonely. Most of us could probably be identified as an ordinary person like the shepherds in the field. I believe we share the privilege of hearing the Good News and encountering the living Christ with others even though we are still battle fields. An angelic chorus burst on the scene, confirming the Good News, and singing heavenly praise to God. God revealed his glory, so that the shepherds could recognize. “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.” (14) God gains glory and people find peace through hearing Good News and praising God. Angelic presence does not last forever, and angels leave. After the angel’s appearance what do the shepherds do? They made an immediate decision to go to Bethlehem to see what angels told them. They wanted to be a part of the work God was doing in this world, they saw God’s work in the face of a baby lying in a manger. I believe we are all already included in God’s awesome work of salvation and immediate decision is necessary for God’s work instead of delaying or holding back. That is one of reasons of joy and moving forward. Shepherds found in a manger the Saviour, the Messiah, the Lord himself. Baby Jesus was in the feeding place. This baby is resting in a manger on the night of his birth. (14) It can be connected to table where community gather around. And after going to the stable and finding the baby wrapped in a manger, what do the shepherds do? They go home praising God for all they have seen and heard. (20) We can go into the world glorifying and praising God because we encountered Jesus. I hope and pray all we can run to Jesus and spread the Gospel so that we can share the words of glory and praise with others. I am confident many of us would like to live singing praise to God and passing on important news to the people around you. This Christmas I hope we can do as those ordinary shepherds did and keep on praising God so others may hear about the birth of Jesus. We are all witnesses to God’s coming into the world as Jesus Christ our Savior. The Good News of great joy that is for all people, and I hope we can extend the ministry of our church to all people whom Jesus came to save. We can expect to find God at work in places where people would never think and live each day in obedience so God can use us when his time comes. I am sure God is with us always if there are congregants who are crying to the Lord especially among our church members in many reasons. And I believe Jesus is with us all the time for all individuals and families who are struggling with grief, depression, loneliness, and illness. Only God can count and

Advent 4, 20th December 2020 The Inbreaking and the Favoured in God’s Love. Readings: 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16; Luke 1:26-38 By Heeyoung Lim Christmas is nearly here! Our Advent wait is nearly over! On this 4th Sunday in Advent, we lit the candle of LOVE. Soon Christmas day will arrive. We are challenged to reveal that same LOVE as we live out our faith here. We thank God for a love beyond our human understanding and await the birth of God’s LOVE this Christmas. We are still in a COVID affected unstable world. How can we go back to the stable? We can stay stable in a manger of stable. Now, just before Christmas, we can get back to the basics of our faith which is God’s unconditional love freely given and received in a changing, uncertain world. There are famous scenes such as angels, shepherds, wise men and stars in the Christmas stories, and Today’s gospel is more focused on Mary’s story regarding the Jesus’ incarnation. However, all the Christmas related topics need to indicate Jesus. As we celebrate the birth of the Christ child in the stable of Bethlehem where Jesus’ inbreaking incarnation happened and the inbreaking is still happening to us. Where is our spiritual stable and Bethlehem? Can we all invite and welcome Jesus in our inner stable today? As we are getting back to the centre of our faith and back to the core of what we believe, the distance with Jesus will be closer and closer. God fulfills his promises, and He often accomplishes his will in unusual and unexpected ways. God’s promise that Jesus will “sit on the throne of David” fulfils the covenant in 2 Samuel 7:1-11 and reveals God’s faithfulness from the prophetic quote. The angel visits a young woman named Mary. The angel Gabriel represents of the presence of God. The angel came to her and said, “Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.” Mary is the favoured by God and she has experienced God’s undeserved grace in a special way. This does not change who Mary is, but she became a special instrument whom God chose to use in his gracious plan of salvation. Mary is elected to a particular purpose in which she wholeheartedly participates, but she is not sinless. (The favoured is not about favouritism.) The favoured by God is a blessing, but it does not mean she is “worthy of praise. The grace Mary received was God’s presence with her. However, the highly favoured becomes sometimes the greatly troubled in this world. The appearance of divine messenger like an angel would be powerful and enough to stir up her thoughts. The heavenly messenger understood her troubled mind, so the angel said to Mary “The Lord is with you” and “Do not be afraid”. The angel’s message did not ease Mary’s confused mind immediately, because confusion reigned, and questions aroused. She had never received such a greeting! What are our obstacles in a blessed event from God? Our spiritual blindness? The habit of saying “No thanks” to God? We are sometimes not ready to receive even greetings, blessings, the favoured by God, and we often misunderstand about God’s plan and will when the ways we face are totally different with ours even in a blessed event. There was a divine birth announcement for a baby named Jesus and Son of God in the Bible. Mary is described as favoured and perplexed, and depicted as the model Christian believer when she questions, believes, and submits to her vocation. God’s messenger had the answer to the confused Mary. The Holy Spirit will come upon Mary, enabling her to do and be more than she could by herself. The angel informed this child would be born through the Holy Spirit and a special miracle of God. (35) Both Mary and Elizabeth were in the divine miracle. In humble submission, Mary was now ready to serve God and follow his will. (38) Both agreed to do what God required. With his mission accomplished, the angel left. Mary was responding to God’s command in absolute obedience. God was at work again in wonderful ways. God’s grace removes all fear, and He does the impossible. Then and now! God will surround her completely with his sovereign power. God’s love will always care for us whenever God takes the initiative because God is love. Mary is the “blessed one” who is called by God to bear the Christ child, the “servant of the Lord” who desires that God’s will come to achievement through her. (38) There were voices from an angel in the presence of God, those were “Do not be afraid”, and “you have found favour with God”, and “nothing is impossible with God.” We can hear the voices when we are anxious, sad and in darkness. Mary’s response to Gabriel’s remarkable announcement of the coming birth of Christ were “Here I am, and I am the servant of the Lord”. Mary’s obedience is neither optional nor forced. She has no choice but to submit to God’s will. Mary acts freely when she offers herself as a servant of the Lord. (38) We are being called to be used by God, our existence and responses need to be before God. I hope all we can say ‘Here I am, and I am the servant of the Lord’ before God. In addition to inviting us to think about who we are and what we do in relation to God and God’s work, this passage challenges us to be reoriented by what the incarnation tells us about Jesus. The inbreaking of Jesus changed our whole life in God’s love. God is giving us the salvation and continuous love through the inbreaking of the holy, the favour of God, and being with us. The holy being came into a particular time and place (v. 26), sent by God to a particular person and community (v. 27). We cannot anticipate the ways that God will