18th September 2022 (Pentecost 15) Sermon Title: God’s Desire for Us (1 Timothy 2:1-7 & Luke 16:1-13)                                                                                   By Heeyoung Lim  Paul had just written of the wonderful grace of God exhibited in Christ who came into the world to save sinners and told Timothy that the first order of the church is to pray for all people. In 1 Timothy 2, Paul urges that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for everyone. Everyone includes kings and all who are in high positions.  This was written during the reign of Nero as emperor of Rome. Knowing that the mission of the church is to spread the truth of Jesus Christ, Paul emphasized the need to pray for those in authority even under his harsh rule. Even under degenerate rule and persecution, the kingdom of God was enlarged in those days. In our own time, we must recognize that corporate prayer is not only a central expression of worship, but a requirement in our daily lives. Regardless of political loyalties or preferences, churches need to pray for national, local, worldwide governmental leaders, and influential people. It is directly or indirectly related to our freedom to live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. Paul wrote to the Philippians, “In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Phil. 4:6). He urged the Colossians and us, “Devote yourselves to prayer” (Col. 4:2). Prayer is a uniting with God. It is to be entered with joy, respect, and a sense of responsibility. We are engaged in the worldwide mission of glorifying God by praying. The glorification of God is manifested in the spread of the gospel, and people are saved through Jesus Christ. As in verse 4, the desire of God is that all people will be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.  Certainly, we desire our nation and the world to be peaceful and quiet. It is for the expression of godliness and holiness; it is for Christian witness. God desires order, peace, and holiness in our lives, in our worship, and in our relationships within the church and our communities. This reflects the order, constancy, and righteous character of God. When we live this way, God is revealed, and people will embrace him as Saviour. May we see the community and world, the spread of the gospel, and the salvation of the lost and live in godliness and holiness.  As we work with Jesus or serve the Lord, the starting point for us is in prayer and full dependence upon God. We are called to pray to God and to depend on God. The full expression of our transformed lives and faith in God pleases God. God is not silent about what pleases Him and glorifies His name. Our faith and transformed lives are used by God who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. As in verse 5, there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. Salvation comes through the man Christ Jesus who is fully God and fully man. Jesus is not one among many. He is the One and only and bridges the gap between sinful humanity and the righteous God. He gave himself as a ransom for all men. Christ’s gift to the world was a self-giving sacrifice. Christ is the witness of the Father’s love and God’s desire to bring his creation back to Himself. Paul knew who he was and his calling. He was an apostle and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles. (v.7) May we also know who we are and respond to God’s calling that causes great dynamic and motivation in our lives. In Luke 16, the parable of the dishonest steward poses significant theological challenges, one of them is the apparent injunction to imitate the unrighteous behaviour of the steward. Today’s text takes another turn in verses 10–12, where the command to renounce the dishonest practices of the steward cancels out the previous order to imitate him. In verse 13, there is a warning about the danger of money as a rival to God. His goal is to make friends so that when unemployed, someone will take him in. Jesus does not commend the manager’s practices, but rather his insight into the connection between resources and relationships. The problems with the unjust steward are about mammon which is dishonest wealth and the hidden motive of receiving something back from those to whom he gave. His giving was polluted by his greedy desire. Jesus encourages us to imitate the man’s scattering of wealth in order to receive the gift that is beyond return and outside any economy of exchange. This parable is difficult to read and preach. As in this parable, we need to prove ourselves trustworthy in small tasks before we will be considered capable of greater tasks. As in Luke 16, we must prove ourselves trustworthy with worldly resources before we will be entrusted with God’s resources. The lifestyle of God’s kingdom includes managing worldly goods for God’s willingness. God’s people should use the world’s resources in ways that reflect God’s kingdom’s life and help others.  May we check to see if we are using worldly resources in worldly ways or kingdom ways.  Living current life according to God’s purpose today is more important than gathering riches for tomorrow. Many people serve mammon and other masters they are tempted to serve besides Christ. We must choose between being justified in the eyes of people or being justified by God. Do we choose to serve the Lord instead of the worldly value or mammon all the time? God wants us to understand God’s desire

11th September 2022 (Pentecost 14) Sermon Title: The Grace and Joy of Our Lord ( 1 Timothy 1:12-17 & Luke 15:1-10)                                                                                   By Heeyoung Lim  In Luke 15, sinners followed Jesus eagerly, but self-righteous religious leaders constantly mocked Jesus for associating with such sinners. Pharisees never realize that they are lost! They always count themselves among the saved, even though they have never repented for their sins. Religious leaders are too self-righteous to associate with sinners, but Jesus associated with sinners because he knew they recognized their need of salvation and would respond, bringing joy to heaven. In today’s text, Jesus told two stories to show what it means to be lost and how a loving Father awaits the sinner to come home and be saved. If we find one missing from one hundred sheep, what are we going to do as a shepherd? Do we leave the ninety-nine to the open field and immediately begin a rescue mission for the lost sheep? Do we have the willingness and passion to search for the sheep late at night with risks? Do we have heavenly parties, celebrations, and joys in our daily lives and ministries? May we find the lost, care for the Lord’s sheep, celebrate and rejoice in the Lord.   In verses 8-9, a woman had ten silver coins but had lost one of them. She began to thoroughly look through the house, looking into every corner. As she discovers the missing coin, she immediately calls her friends to rejoice together. The parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin both end by calling together friends and neighbours to join in the celebration. Indeed, the movement of joy vibrates from the one to the many, from the earth to the heavens. Salvation by faith and grace consists of the rescue from sins and the eternal celebration.  In 15:10, Jesus repeated the message of verse 7. A repentant sinner brings celebration and joy to heaven, but self-righteous religious people bring no joy to heaven. Heaven is populated with the lost who were found and the sinners who repented. Do our services and ministries God entrusted us bring the same joy and celebration to us? May we follow Jesus’ example and serve everyone, find the lost through being disciples instead of spending our whole life with the righteous or as the self-righteous leaders.  Are we showing God’s patient love and welcoming grace when people leave and return? May we search for the lost and bring them back to Jesus and share God’s joy whenever repentance or returning is happening. I hope we won’t give up on people when they turn away from God and faith communities. God waits patiently for us in love for the lost to return to Him. May our church rejoice over the lost as they are found and join the heavenly banquet. God is like the shepherd who values each sheep in the flock, like the woman who accounts for every silver coin in the purse. God treasures every child of the family. When one goes missing, God goes into searching. God is love, and love looks like one who goes out tirelessly searching. When one in our faith community goes missing or is in pain, we are all affected or suffered. When one is restored or returned, we are all better off for it. In Christ, we are the extended family of God. Until the lost returns, the community is incomplete. The parables are about a hospitality that seeks to restore. These parables call the community to open its doors and rejoice. When the lost has returned home and sits in the presence of God, may we rejoice in the Lord and be glad in Christ! We rejoice in the Lord with a spirit of love, hope, faith, and peace that leads us to deeper discipleship communities and spirituality. May the joyful celebration of finding those who were lost and have returned to Jesus continue in our lives and ministries abundantly. God has shown mercy to all of us, and Christ came to save sinners. As in Rome 5:8, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Paul opposed the work of God, was disrespectful of Christ, and harassed the people of God. He imprisoned people for their faith in Christ, witnessed persecution at the stoning of Stephen, and tried to destroy the church.  Even so, he was shown mercy. In a dramatic encounter with the living Christ, Paul was rescued from his unbelief and saved from his rebellion. (Acts 9)  Reminding of how he lived before his encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, his rescue from sin can be attributed to the overflowing grace of God. The grace of our Lord was poured out on him abundantly. In Acts 9:15, God clearly called him: “This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel”. He was appointed by God. Paul and Timothy had to deal with the false teachers in those days. In today’s text, Paul began his testimony by turning attention to Christ and expressed his thankfulness: I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength. Whatever Paul was able to become an exemplary Christian life was because of Christ Jesus. Paul had an amazing life of powerful ministry for God. He knew that God was the giver of power and strength, and it was because of God from start to finish. Paul continued to express his gratitude: God considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Paul had demonstrated faithfulness throughout his ministry, and in God’s economy and providence this resulted in greater ministry

4th September 2022 (Pentecost 13) Father’s Day / the Season of Creation / Child Safe Sunday Sermon Title: The Cost of Discipleship  (Philemon 1:16 – 20 & Luke 14:25 – 33)                                                                                   By Heeyoung Lim  The more Jesus isolated the Jewish leaders, the larger the crowds who followed. Jesus taught the crowds as well as his disciples. The crowds sought and accompanied Jesus, but they did not follow Him. The main differences between the crowds and disciples are the cost and sacrifice. Following Jesus sometimes isolates and separates us from those closest or things familiar to us. Dedication to Jesus means rejection of self-interest and personal preference. Discipleship is not a hasty decision or temporary commitment; it is a full-time commitment. Being a father, a mother, a family, and disciples are life-long commitments. Dedication to God has no limits and accompanies cost and sacrifice. Following Jesus is a lifelong commitment and determination and the road that leads to the cross or sacrifice. Cross bearing means total sacrifice of everything. Discipleship is never cheap or easy, but may we prioritize Jesus more than anything. Have you ever paused and counted the cost of discipleship? In today’s text, becoming a disciple is like starting a building project. We must budget for it and see that we can finish it. No one wants a half-finished building. Christians should not turn back when they are halfway in their discipleship journey. Rather, we need to count the cost, be ready to pay the cost, and take up our cross. May we accomplish the race of discipleship journey together instead of returning to a place where we start or walking into where worldly values lead. We might meet those who rejected and made fun of us. In verses 31 and 32, Jesus explains discipleship through fighting and battle. Jesus taught us how to prepare, build, and fight as disciples. Christian faith requires an enduring obedience from beginning to end. May we be ready to fight and win against something else that interrupts a disciple’s journey. In today’s text, Jesus uses strong language to make clear the high cost of discipleship. It must be total dedication that moves from wish to careful deliberation and decision making. It cannot be done on impulse, because Jesus knows that the cross emerges before His followers.  Being disciples accompanies the cost and determination. This term for “cost” appears only once in the New Testament here. Cost is what we give up to acquire, accomplish, maintain, or produce something. It involves a measure of sacrifice and perhaps loss or penalty in gaining something. Cost requires effort and resources. As disciples, when accepting and spreading the good news of Jesus Christ, we can see the power of Jesus’ call and the commitment as hearers and doers of the word. Discipleship is a process and takes time and involves both failures and successes. May we grow in our faith journeys and live the holiness that resides in each of us. As disciples, may we learn to face life’s challenges and joys with a spirit of love, hope, faith, and peace that leads us to a deeper spirituality.  Today’s text invites us to engage in that deep process of reflection that discipleship demands of us, to explore whether we are being followers or if we are measuring our lives by human yardsticks. At the heart of discipleship is transformation, and the cost is engaging in a radical shift and faith growth. The cost of discipleship also includes salvation and entering an intimate relationship with God in Christ that teaches us that obedience to God is not blind. The cost will lead to changes in relationships and faith development.  That change is well illustrated in Philemon. Paul offered something for Philemon to think about. Paul did not intend to minimize Onesimus’s past wrongs and acknowledged the debt Onesimus owed Philemon. Paul expressed his appreciation and love for Onesimus. “Onesimus is no longer as a slave, but as beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.” Paul told Philemon to welcome him as you would welcome me.  In today’s text, Paul went on to say, “If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me.” Paul did not neglect obligations and relationships. Instead, he worked to resolve problems. He was ready to assume the debt and said, “I will pay it back”. The treachery of Onesimus was refashioned by God’s hand and shaped into a blessing for Onesimus, Philemon, Paul, and the countless numbers who benefited from their ministries. Onesimus may have run away, but God’s grace ran with him. Philemon may have lost a possession, but God’s grace further enriched him and proved that God works for the good of those who love and serve him. God’s sovereign authority converts bad situations into good situations. Onesimus was changed, and Philemon would find him valuable as a person, as a worker, as a friend, but also as a spiritual brother, a man with whom he found the deeper communion before the Lord. In these changed relationships, nothing would ever be the same. I believe that we will be transformed in Christ as a spiritual family and be reshaped by God as a renewed community. The lawless acts of Onesimus were used by God to bring about his salvation and the maturity of Philemon. God’s grace works through all human affairs. We all belong to Christ. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these people of mine, you did for me” (Matt. 25:40). The Father accepts us as he accepts the Son, because we are followers and co-workers of Christ through faith.  Here

28th August 2022 (Pentecost 12) Sermon Title: God’s Hospitality (Psalm 81:1, 10–16 & Luke 14:1, 7–14                                                                                       By Heeyoung Lim  After Jesus challenges the rules about healing on the Sabbath, he challenges the way people exalt themselves and then gives instructions about who to invite to a banquet. (v. 7-11) In Jesus’ time, dinners were not just meals but social events that bonded people of similar status together. People could find out who had been invited before accepting an invitation and expected to eat with their social equals. In people’s perspectives, if the “wrong” people would be invited, many potential guests made excuses and declined the invitation. Some people declined the invitation if they felt that they could not give back the hospitality. The seating arrangement was crucial to them and offering less was shameful to the host in those times.  In this Bible story, the original hosts are the upper-class Jews who were so tied to their social status and ignored God. God rejected them and turned to the ones they looked down to find adequate guests for the heavenly banquet. We cannot say that their places have been reserved in the heavenly feast. Their attitude can cause them to miss God’s final heavenly banquet, or they would never participate in His banquet due to their worldly values. May we care more for others’ needs than for our own desires and reputation. Jesus wants us to participate in a glorious banquet through faith, hope, and loving hospitality.  In accordance with Jesus’ parable based on what was happening in the banquet, if we try to gain honour for ourselves, we will be humiliated. But if we are humble, then we will receive great honour. May we act with humility, not pride, in every situation, looking at Jesus. Jesus wants us to invite those who are unable to pay us back and to find the names of the poor, the injured, and the needy. Everyone deserves an invitation to a loving table. However, no one ever honours them with a dinner in those days. May we reverse the world’s way and invite those who are in need to our banquet. In verse 14, Jesus continued. “Instead, you are doing this for God. When you do things his way, He repays you.” I believe that eternal glory will be given to us if we believe in Jesus and share God’s hospitality here. God will give you His heavenly blessings, and you will be rewarded by God. May we not limit God’s hospitality in our lives. God asks us to live in the culture of the kingdom of God through our everyday acts toward each other and in and through our relationship with God and creation. In the relationship with God’s creation, we are responsible for climate change action in our lives, I believe that we are striving to do climate action in our daily lives, doing our best to protect and take good care of God’s creation. May we receive more heavenly blessing that invites us to grow into a deeper relationship with God and others. Jesus wants us to understand that our all-human drive to seek the best seat in a place is not genuine participation in God’s mercy or love. Many Christians want to be a blessing to others, but being a blessing is not easy. Instead, sharing blessings with others or displaying the blessings we have received is relatively easier than being a blessing. Jesus is highlighting the ways in which the realm of God establishes its own social and spiritual order. Jesus uses this occasion to describe the reign of God. There are reversals in the gospel of Luke. God’s reign is not about measuring up but about being invited by God. Jesus tells the host to invite people of low social status who cannot reciprocate the invitation. He also teaches the host to invite those who could not possibly return the favour. The reign of God is marked by true generosity, like the generosity God pours out on all. Although we cannot even begin to repay God’s hospitality, may we respond to God’s compassion and mercy in our daily living. In Psalm 81, Asaph calls God’s people to rejoice in God who has blessed them, to remember their past deliverance by the Lord, and to repent as to they do not appreciate His blessings. (1) Asaph urged the people, “Sing for joy to God our strength”. Just as God had provided for them earlier in their wilderness wanderings. He said and promised, “Open wide your mouth and I will fill it”. God’s hospitality is unlimited, and He wants to fill us with his blessings and tells us to open our mouth wide. In contrast to the gracious works of God, Israel was stubborn and would not listen to him. Verses 10–16 contrasts God’s gracious hospitality with the people’s rebelliousness and unwillingness to listen. In verse 16, God’s hospitality needs to be read through the lens of the Exodus. The people grumbled in the wilderness, demanding proof of God’s presence. God generously fed them manna, and water flowed from the rock when they wanted water. (Exodus 16 &17) In Psalm 81, God the host goes beyond the people’s request or demands, and they are promised by God the finest wheat and honey from the rock. God’s covenant is the foundation of the blessing that frames righteous living, and our salvation through Jesus is based on God’s hospitality.  In Luke’s gospel, Christ calls us to set such an open table, to invite all people to experience life shaped by God’s inclusive and compassionate love. What does it mean to be invited to live in God’s reign? We are invited not because of what we have or what

21st August 2022 (Pentecost 11) Sermon Title: Jesus’ Boundary-Breaking Love (Luke 13:10–17)                                                                                       By Heeyoung Lim  Jesus taught people in a synagogue on this Sabbath, He sees a woman there who has been unable to stand up straight for 18 years. The crippled woman does not ask for healing. Instead, Jesus calls to her and sets her free from her serious illness by laying hands on her. Her response is to stand up straight and begin praising God.  In John 9, Jesus said that the sickness has nothing to do with sins when his disciples asked him, rather, this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. In this woman’s case from Luke 13, her back had been bent for eighteen years because an evil spirit controlled her. When Jesus sees and calls the woman, she responds by coming forward. When He declares she is “set free” from her sickness, she stands up straight, praising God. Jesus’ loving, caring eye picked her out of the crowd. Jesus identifies her as a recipient of God’s blessing and a person of faith. Jesus healed by placing his hands on the sufferer, and healing came immediately. The woman recognized the source of her healing and praised God. However, the synagogue leader is angry and criticizes those in the crowd who have come for healing on the Sabbath. Filled with righteous indignation, the religious leader pointed out that Jesus broke the law and people cannot work on the Sabbath. When Jesus taught or healed, the reaction was mixed. Many people were thrilled and praised God, but some became angry and indignant. In this leader’s eyes, Jesus has broken the Law. He insisted that this day is for God’s work but missed the whole point of what God’s work is. He was caught in the trap of placing form before substance. The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites!”.  He asked him, “Is she less important than your animals?” Our Lord does not want us to be content for religious hypocrisy. Jesus untied her from the suffering she has faced by his love and mercy. If the Sabbath is to honour God, what greater honour is there than to restore someone to wholeness. The religious leaders were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things Jesus was doing. The entire crowd rejoiced in response. Especially the least people who had no other defender against the religious system and the political oppression. They saw someone break the system or tradition which gives more attention to religious rules rather than human needs. They were delighted to see someone who cared for and helped those who are in need. They recognized that God’s work through Jesus’ boundary-breaking love was glorious, which seems to indicate they knew these were divine acts. Jesus lived within the Law but came to help people understand the spirit of the Law in a new way. His action to set the woman free to worship on the Sabbath shows that healing and liberation take precedence over human rules. Dedication to God leads to meeting human need, while dedication to religion protects the tradition even at the cost of human life. May we have confidence that God is at work growing his kingdom even when we cannot see much evidence of it. Entering and experiencing the kingdom of God can be done by faith, listening to God’s Word, and practicing it, not by maintaining religious tradition. May we remember the Sabbath Day or the Lord’s Day to keep it holy.  Jesus welcomes, loves, and restores all in the ways of God’s healing reign. We are invited to celebrate and praise God for His boundary-breaking love. We also are called to be agents of such healing freedom. Someone is probably living in the shadows in some way. May we reach out and invite people to the centre of our community’s life together. Can we celebrate the worth found in all people in worship, learning and serving? How might we recognize every single person within Christian community? To be in the synagogue on the Sabbath in Jesus’ time was to be at the very centre of the Jewish faith. This is where life, faith, and community merged in a wonderful celebration of God’s presence and promise. It would have been a joyous, awesome, and holy place.  But Jesus calls and places the woman in the centre of the community and transform the crowd. May this service enable our congregation to praise God more and more, and all be more valued and passionately called by the Spirit of Christ into a loving community. God calls us toward the places where grace and healing hope and justice exist. He opens us to new dimensions of faith and gives us courage to break the rules that bind and burden, to bring joy in abundance where joy has been depleted. Jesus reaches out to the woman burdened and living in the shadows and proclaims she is “set free,” and we rejoice in our liberation as well. God, our rock, and refuge, affirms, calls, and sets us free to participate fully in God’s healing, reconciling reign. God breaks into our world and shakes things up. As we approach the healing ministry, we realize God’s unlimited power and our limits and pray for the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual liberation. To ask for healing helps us step into Jesus’ invitation for healing and restoration. Even when the pathway seems to be unclear, in Jesus’ healing power, may we stand up straight to look up Jesus and praise God just like the healed woman.  The theology of the Sabbath in Jesus’ practice and teaching implies for us our memory of God’s healing and freeing power in Christ