St Timothy Presbyterian Church in Toronto: Sermons

Ephesians 6:10-20

Life is more than our actions.

Yes, our actions are important. Our decisions are important.

We need to take responsibility for our own actions and our decisions.

Don't blame others for your own life. There is no use to blame other people or your circumstances.

That doesn't do any good. That just makes us feel bad.

It is ultimately your decisions and your actions that shape your life.

Today is Education Sunday and also Graduation Sunday. We recognize those who are graduating.

Congratulations! One chapter of your life is over. And a new chapter begins.

So we call it commencement. A new beginning.

Your decisions and your actions are very important in beginning a new chapter of your life.

What school to go to? Who to meet? What do you want to study? What kind of job? What do you want to do with your life?

These are all very important questions you have to seriously ask yourself.

You need to spend a lot of time in thinking about these questions when you start a new chapter. Because they will shape your future.

You have to pray hard to make good decisions. Don't make hasty decisions. Don't follow others mindlessly.

Make good decisions. Choose good actions.

That was how St. Paul lived his life.

He believed that his decisions and his actions would shape who he was.

He wanted to be the best person he could be. He wanted to live a good life.

So, he chose a good path. He chose a path of the life of a Pharisee.

Being a Pharisee meant something noble. A good upright life. Pharisees were elites of that society.

He also chose the best teacher he could find. Gamaliel. Gamaliel was one of the most famous teachers during his time.

Meeting a good teacher is very important. So all the teachers – thank you for your service.

St. Paul got the best education available to him.

He also chose good actions for himself. He set a high moral standard for himself. His actions were noble and admirable.

He said he was blameless as far as the law was concerned. Who could dare to say that?

But when he met Christ, he realized that life was more than his actions and his decisions.

He realized that he could not control his life only with his actions and decisions.

He realized that life was a battle. A battle against challenges, problems, and darkness.

For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)

It is a battle against the systemic evil that controls our society.

Prejudice. Greed. Selfishness. Indifference.

The battle is not necessarily against certain people. It is against this negative power built-in in our system.

No matter how much you try to live your life with good actions and good decisions, this negative power does not leave you alone.

It makes you helpless and powerless.

After meeting Christ, he became real about himself.

He realized that he was enslaved by this negative spirit. He never knew that before.

But through Christ, he could see clearly how enslaved he was.

In that enslavement, his actions and decisions were made in blindness. He lived in this blindness.

Through Christ, his eyes were open and he could see clearly how enslaved and how blind he was.

This was what he confessed.

I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. (Romans 7:15)

It shows very clearly that he was not as free as he thought.

If St. Paul was not as free as he thought, how much more that is the case for all of us.

So life does not depend only on your actions and decisions.

You need to first spiritually prepare yourself so that you can make good decisions and follow good actions.

So St. Paul said to put on the whole armour of God today.

He used the military language. Armour, breastplate, shield, helmet, and the sword – These were all military words for a Roman soldier.

He used the military language because he saw life as a battle. A battle against this dark, negative energy that fills the whole cosmos.

Yes, life is a battle. A battle against the negative energy that strikes you down and makes you dark.

You need to be spiritually equipped.

My friends, I would like to say three things that you can prepare yourself spiritually.

1. Live a life of principle.

Don't make decisions only by calculating what's beneficial for you.

Fasten the belt of truth around your waist. Know the truth and the truth shall set you free.

Seek God's righteousness, everything else will be added unto you.

Put on the breastplate of righteousness. See what principle you are following.

Life is more than money. Life is more than selfish gain. Life is not just about what's in it for me.

Follow the principle always. You won't be easily shaken and tempted.

A principle is more important than profits.

Guard yourself with the truth. Be a principle-oriented person.

2. Have faith.

Take the shield of faith.

Life is challenging. All kinds of challenges will come to you. They are like flaming arrows.

What you need is the shield of faith.

These challenges will make you feel weak. They make you fall.

They take away confidence from you and you will want to give up.

It is faith that gives you the strength to go on.

Even in the worst circumstance, if you have faith, you can come out of it stronger and taller.

Sometimes, you may see no future. That is when you need faith.

If you see the future, you don't need faith. When you cannot see anything, that is when your faith comes in.

You will be able to see with the eyes of faith what you cannot see with your physical eyes.

3. Be the good news.

Don't just share the good news. Be the good news.

To those who are in sorrow, be the comforting presence. That is being the good news.

To those who need friends, be their friends. That is being the good news.

To those who are struggling with their own failures. Comfort them and embrace them with gentle and warm arms. That is being the good news.

To those who are unjustly treated. Stand with them to uphold the justice.

To those tyrants who abuse their evil power to oppress others. Confront them. Resist the evil.

That is being the good news.

Be the good news.

Be spiritually equipped. Then your actions and decisions will shape your life in a beautiful way.

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1 Kings 2:10-12, 3:3-14

It is difficult for us to recognize that we just do not know.

I'm not talking about not knowing some kind of information.

I'm referring to not knowing what we should do or where we should go.

Rather than saying I don't know, we want to say I know . We want to feel like we've got all the answers.

We want to seem like we are all put together and sure of what we are doing and where we are going.

If we do say that we don't know, it is usually to avoid talking about the issue altogether.

No amount of books we read, the advice we receive, or the planning we do can drive out the unease of not knowing.

It never goes away, no matter what life stage we are in.

I know that many of our students struggle with that. The same goes for our university, college graduates.

We also have those who are navigating the challenges of being first-time parents, or left with an empty nest.

There are some that are either in or preparing for their retirement.

And the last thing we want is to acknowledge that we are lost. If not to others, then at least to ourselves.

In today's passage, we see that Solomon was in a similar situation.

He was the son of David the greatest king of Israel. He was set to follow in his father's footsteps after he passed.

Imagine the pressure and the anxiety. He had enormous shoes to fill.

This was what he said about himself

And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. (1 Kings 3:7)

Solomon described himself as a little child'.

He wasn't being literal. He was young at the time. But he was not a child.

Yet he compared himself to a little child who doesn't know what he should do or where he should go.

In a time of loneliness, confusion and vulnerability, Solomon did not hide.

Instead, he was honest and transparent before God. He simply acknowledged that he was lost, anxious and afraid.

I don't know where to start. I don't know who to trust.

Solomon saw that he needed wisdom.

So, this was what he asked from God

Give your servant, therefore, an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil, for who can govern this great people of yours? (1 Kings 3:9)

Here, mind' can also be understood as the heart'. The very centre of a human being.

The word understanding' also means listening'.

In that sense, Solomon wasn't asking for stronger rational and intellectual capabilities.

He was asking for the ability to listen. To listen and seek God's will in every situation.

Solomon sought what was spiritual.

Being wise doesn't mean knowing' more.

In this day and age, we know more than we have ever before.

Being wise has to do with understanding that we do not know all there is to know and that is okay.

Wendell Berry, the American writer, said

It may be that when we no longer know what to do,we have come to our real workand when we no longer know which way to go,we have begun our real journey.

We don't need to feel ashamed that we don't know everything. Why should we?

We are only human. We are only a little child in need of guidance and care.

The more we try to pretend otherwise, the more we will be unable to see what we need to see and hear what we need to hear.

We will remain trapped in our small world. We will never be able to see beyond ourselves.

Our mind will be so full of our own voices that nothing else will be able to speak into it. Not even God.

The key that unlocks the world of spiritual wisdom is humility.

Being humble does not mean putting ourselves down.

Being humble means to see ourselves as we are, and to see God as who God is.

Our humility comes from recognizing that it is not we, but God who leads and guides our every step.

It wasn't Solomon's innate ability or experience that made him wise. It was his humility. And it pleased God to bless him.

I now do according to your word. Indeed, I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you, and no one like you shall arise after you. (1 Kings 3:12)

Indeed, there was no one like Solomon before or after.

If his father was the greatest king of Israel, Solomon was known as the wisest king of Israel.

He entrusted every situation in God's hands. God gave him the wisdom he needed.

People saw something unique and authentic about Solomon and his leadership.

All Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to execute justice. (1 Kings 3:28)

We've been enjoying a time of rest, play and rejuvenation this summer.

Summer is also a time of transition and preparation.

New school year is on the horizon. Even our ministers are preparing for the new season.

Everything will be back in full swing before we know it.

I pray that we take this time to be wise in our living.

To reflect on where we are at the moment.

To acknowledge our uncertainties, doubts, and worries.

And more importantly, to seek and listen to God who cares for us and knows the way we should go.

We heard it during today's special music

The matchless wisdom of his waysthat mark the path of righteousnesshis word a lamp unto my feet,his spirit teaching and guiding me.

How we got to be where we are and who we are today is a mystery. It is purely by God's grace.

In many ways, we still feel like a helpless little child.

We are discerning and figuring it out as we go, with God's help. God is opening doors and creating new paths we didn't expect.

Be wise, my friends.

When we are wise, we experience peace and freedom. We are no longer driven by our need to be in control.

When we are peaceful and free, that is when we start taking ownership of our life.

We can envision and live into our future while leaving it all in God's hands.

That is the journey of faith. Walking each day and every step in trust.

Embracing the unknown yet hopeful future that lies ahead.

Being able to say with confidence, I don't know but that is okay.

Ephesians 4:25-5:2

St. Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians,

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children (Ephesians 5:1)

Be imitators of God. What does this mean?

We often think of imitation as copying or mimicking someone. But when Paul says be imitators, he means more than that.

It concerns not just our behaviour, but our entire existence.

Being imitators of God means to REFLECT THE IMAGE OF GOD that is within us.

It has to do with living the way we were made to live.

We are made in the image of God, who is love. John said that clearly

Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. (1 John 4:8)

We are made to love and to live in love.

That, I believe, is the essence of Christian anthropology. It is our basic and fundamental disposition.

Love is what we experience when we first enter this world.

As children, we freely receive and give love to others. Yet somehow as we get older, we seem to lose that capacity to love.

The disappointments and hurts we experience along the way harden our hearts.

We close up, withdraw, and become selective about to whom we will show our love.

We constantly hold back even though we know very well that when we love, that is when we are most alive.

We know how to be nice', but not love. In other words, we learn to BURY the image of God within us.

Last week, Rev. Simon briefly shared about the youths in Sioux Valley. The children are very receptive and responsive to love.

The youths not as much. They are more closed off, guarded, and evasive.

It takes more time and effort to get past the hard exterior. Some of our young people had a difficult time with that.

On the final day, as a wrap-up activity, our counsellors had the youths do the warm-and-fuzzy's together. Even to get all of them to sit at a table was a challenge.

It was clear that some of them didn't like the others. You saw the resentment in their eyes.

We told them to write a positive note of affirmation and encouragement to each other.

Thankfully, all of them did it without a complaint. Some couldn't even wait to look inside the bag.

After we finished, I asked the youths why we did something like this. One of them said, to be nice and kind?

I said, That's good. Then I shared what I'm reflecting with you today.

That we are all made in the image of God. That means, we are all perfectly capable of showing our love and care to one another.

But we can only do that as long as we learn to let go and not hold back that part of ourselves from others.

The notes we wrote to each other were visible reminders of that. I encouraged them to do that for each other even after the camp.

To be honest, I didn't plan on saying that. I just felt moved in that moment to share it with them.

I felt God laid that message upon my heart.

Because at the end of the day, what does it all come down to? What ultimately counts in the end?

It is love.

Without love, life becomes cold and unbearable. There are no second chances. Community becomes divided and broken. There is no possibility of meaningful change.

When love is absent, everything falls apart.

Yet, the irony is that we often resist this kind of message. Conceptually, we know it matters, but we remain skeptical.

We think to uphold love like that is too idealistic.

We conclude by saying it is just too difficult to love people. They are too stubborn, contradictory, and unpredictable.

What is the alternative, then?

Hate? Indifference?

Even indifference is a form of hate.

What would be the implications of living such a life?

My friends, the message of love embedded in our gospel is not meant for only certain people of a specific community. It is a message for all of us.

We all need to reclaim the image of God and be imitators of God in our own life.

That is what Jesus came to do. He came to restore the image of God within us through his love.

He showed concretely what it means to love others.

Love is being completely for the other person.

For our sake, he went all the way to the cross. Through his death and resurrection, he tore down the HOSTILITY that divided us with God, and with each other.

For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us, abolishing the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. (Ephesians 2:14-16)

Because of Christ, we are now free to love as he loved us. That means we are now able to CHOOSE.

We are no longer ruled by the power of hostility. We are given the power to love.

That is why right after calling us to be imitators of God, St. Paul said

and walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:2)

Much of today's passage may sound like a list of moral acts we should carry out somehow.

Don't speak falsehood, but the truth. Don't sin while you are angry. Don't steal, but share and do honest work. Don't tear down people with words, but build them up. Put away all bitterness, and be kind to others.

But these are not merely disconnected, individual acts. As if we can pick and choose what we will do.

Rather, they are all anchored together by the last two verses. They are manifestations of walking in love.

They are what happens when each one of us are concerned with the good and well-being of those around us.

Where the imitators of God are gathered, there is the CHURCH.

Church is more than a collective of friends and families.

Church is an eclectic gathering of broken people who strive to be imitators of God in a genuine and authentic way.

Church is where the commandment of love is not just uttered in words, but practiced in truth and action.

It is where the presence of Christ is felt in a real way.

Jesus said that.

For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them. (Matthew 18:20)

This was my experience of the mission trip in a nutshell.

This year, we had a few members from the London Church join us. Simon and I had some concerns in the beginning because the two teams didn't have many opportunities to get to know each other.

Much to our surprise, the two churches got along very well all throughout the trip.

There was always the willingness to understand, serve, and look out for one another that instilled a sense of unity in the team.

It wasn't all smooth sailing, though.

Any mission trip is an intense experience. Being in a high-intensity environment, everything is heightened.

With the unexpected changes and challenges we had to deal with this year, in our committee, there were some subtle tensions at one point.

In the situation that we were in, we could've been cold or reactive. But rather than letting it negatively affect the unity of the team, we learned to discuss and work it out, no matter how difficult it was.

What is love if not that? It brought greater understanding between the members.

In our journey together, let us be imitators of God. Reflect the image of God within you by walking in love.

Don't bury it and grieve the Spirit who brings people together. Let it SHINE.

This is our calling as the body of Christ. To forgive, understand, and persevere with others.

There is no other alternative.

As God is always for us, we should always be for each other.

When the image of God shines brightly, we live out our calling to be his witness in the world.

You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. People do not light a lamp and put it under the bushel basket; rather, they put it on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)

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2 Corinthians 5:17

The essence of the gospel is about change.

Once I am in Christ, I am a new creation. The old has passed, the new has come.

The person I am today is not the person I will be tomorrow.

That is good news. In Christ, there is always the possibility of a new beginning.

But many times, that change is not easy.

We just came back from Sioux Valley yesterday. Thank you for your prayers and support.

Sioux Valley is located in the southwest area of Manitoba.

This year, seven members from London Korean Christian Church joined our team of twenty-seven, to make a total of thirty-four people.

It was the second trip there for our church members.

Joon Song and Sarah Park from the KSM went for many years, from 2002 to 2015 with their old church.

Last year, we went for the first time.

We had a great experience last year. We formed great bonds.

But a whole year had passed. We weren't sure what it was going to be like this year. Would they remember us?

This year, no one knew we were coming. So as soon as we arrived on Monday, we unpacked, had dinner, and immediately went out to knock door to door.

When people opened the door, we introduced ourselves as the Koreans from Toronto, and that we were back.

We were pleasantly surprised to see that many people remembered us! Their faces relaxed and they became friendly.

Tuesday was our first day of programming. Over 100 people showed up – from kids all the way to adults.

The seeds of love we planted last year bore some fruits of change. We recognized many of the kids – they had grown up so much!

Things were off to a great start.

But then we received some bad news: the main hall that we were using had to be vacated for a funeral on Thursday.

So that meant we had to leave the hall by 3pm the following day, Wednesday.

They asked us where we would stay.

We were shocked! We said we don't have any other place to stay.

They felt really bad and offered us a smaller space at their community center.

But we had to move everything over to the community centre and the church, because the community center wasn't large enough by itself.

Our kitchen team had to pack all the kitchen stuff and food. Our drivers and team members had to transport everything to the community center and the church.

The kids and youth had their program in the hot non-air conditioned church on Wednesday. On Thursday they had to go outside to the park all afternoon where it was so hot.

Meanwhile, everyone else had to re-pack everything to go back to the hall.

It was very tiring. Some of our young people became sick.

It seemed like a message from God saying that change doesn't come easily.

The path to real change is never easy or smooth.

Our challenges were so small compared to the challenges that people in Sioux Valley face. Everyday seems to bring new challenges for them.

The very first day we were there, one of our close friends from Sioux Valley shared how her nephew just died last week from a car accident.

He was a respected teacher at the Sioux Valley school. He knew the history and traditions of his people.

And now they lost a respected role model for the youth.

Our worship service that day became a space of mourning for her and she broke down during our prayer time.

One of the boys who came was found to have lice in his hair. For the sake of the other children and our mission team members, I had to send him home.

I felt so bad, because he had been having such a good time. He was playing and smiling.

When I broke the news to him, I was expecting disappointment. But instead, all he said was ok with no reaction.

That surprised me. He was around the same age as Joonie.

If I had to send Joonie home when he was having the time of his life, he would have protested and been very upset. But this boy expressed no such thing.

It made me wonder what he had gone through to have no expectation. It's almost like he expected nothing of life.

At such a young age, he had faced one disappointment after another, to the point where he no longer expected anything of life.

Another young man I met last year had a powerful spiritual experience last year. The message and prayers really hit him.

I was very happy to see him again, and he joined our worship service. During that service, I got to speak with him at length.

He too is going through so many struggles and challenges. He's trying to keep things together in his family.

He's been one of the few to be on the straight and narrow path.

He said that all of his peers his age succumbed to drug addictions or suicides, that not many were left.

These are only a few stories.

In our surroundings, these stories would be wild exceptions.

But I'm not exaggerating in saying that these stories are everyone's stories in the community.

It's not a large community – there are around 1400 people living on the reserve, and another 1400 who live outside of the reserve.

And for those who live on or off the reserve, these stories run through every individual and family.

Underneath these endless stories of despair, addictions, abandonment and death is the sense that their lives don't matter. That no one cares for them.

Their hearts are broken and shattered.

Even when they try to mend their hearts, more things are thrown at them that keeps their hearts broken.

Do you know what the most significant result of a broken heart is? It's conflict and division in the community ( ).

When your heart has been shattered by violence, you don't know how to love others.

There is a lot of conflict and division in the community. For KSM: conflict and division in our community.

This is the result of centuries of colonial policies that broke down the most important part of one's life – the family.

Families were shattered and broken by residential schools and forced adoption of indigenous children into other families.

They taught them that who they are is bad and that they don't matter.

With the people of our KSM: what would have happened if Japan had stayed in power?

One reason so many kids and youth came to us is because there are no other programs or camps for them in the community.

When community leaders do try and organize something, it doesn't work out because no one attends. If one group comes, then those who don't like them won't come.

Leaders are divided and in factions ( ). Families don't like other families. Even the Christians there are divided and don't get along with each other.

Change can only come if the community comes together.

If the community works together to figure out what to do about drugs and addictions. About the despair young people feel.

That change can come only when people's hearts are healed.

The change they need is healing that will bring their community together.

My heart was heavy the whole time I was there. I wondered how change could come when there is such weight on everyone's hearts.

Even going to school from junior high on up is such an ordeal. Kids have to wake up at 6am to get the bus to go into Brandon (half an hour away). Then they get bused back to school.

It's hard enough for parents in our church to wake our kids up. At least we have parents to wake you up.

But if your family doesn't care what you do, what motivation do they have?

Only the power of God can heal hearts and bring change. That's the only conclusion I have.

I don't know how, but only God can bring change through the power of love.

One of our prayers for this trip was that we begin to make relationships with leaders in the community who are trying to help.

Last year, we only built relationships with the children and families who came to us.

There are leaders who care very deeply. Elders who worry about the youth. We wanted to connect with them.

God opened up doors to new relationships.

A few of us met the drug addiction workers in the community. I met the executive assistant of the Sioux Valley school in Brandon. One lady works for the family services department.

She was so impressed by what we're doing. What we're doing is exactly what she was hoping to see in the community.

So she first gave us hundreds of water bottles and juice boxes. She then said next year that her organization will give us $5000 for us to run and expand what we do there.

These are the small ways that God is planting seeds for change.

One burden on my heart from this trip is for the youth of Sioux Valley. That's the group that all the leaders and elders of the community feel the heaviest weight for.

Right from the first evening there, our friend Dallas beckoned me over.

She was with Rev. Dave and another two elders in the community. She said we need you to send Pastor Dave to be our full-time youth pastor in Sioux Valley .

My prayer request is for a pastor, a shepherd, who can be there week in, week out with the youth of Sioux Valley.

There were a group of guys who came in and out throughout the week. They look kind of intimidating.

But on the last night, when everyone formed a circle to sing our last song, I made everyone, including them, join the circle.

I prayed for them and hugged them. I told them that I want them to take good care of themselves over the next year, and that I want to see them again next year.

I beg...

John 5:1-9

The Hebrew word Bethzatha means House of Mercy .

Many ill, blind, lame and paralyzed people gathered around the pool called Bethzatha hoping to receive mercy.

The pool was inside the Sheep Gate.

The Sheep Gate and the pool inside it remind me of Psalm 23.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. (Psalm 23:1-3)

Inside the Sheep Gate, they wanted to be healed. They wanted to be restored. They wanted mercy.

But the pool was anything but a place of mercy.

This is what the man said when Jesus approached him:

Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am making my way someone else steps down ahead of me. (John 5:8)

There was no one to help him. Everyone was looking after themselves.

A place meant for healing became a place without mercy.

People believed that when the water in the pool was stirred up, they would be healed if they went into it.

So all sorts of people gathered by the pool, waiting for it to be stirred up.

Getting into that pool became the goal, the thing people chased after.

What is the stirred water for you?

What do you think will make you well? What's missing in your life that will make it better?

Is it good health? Is it money? Is it popularity and the praise of others?

Will these things truly make you well?

All of these things might help. They definitely make life easier. But can they restore your soul and make you well?

We put so much effort into these things. We chase our own version of the stirred water.

Obtaining your stirred water doesn't make you a bad person. The problem is that your blind pursuit of it contributes to a merciless world.

This is the problem that the ill man in this passage faced.

Anytime the water stirred up, there was a stampede. Everyone was fixated on getting into that stirred water.

Only the fittest and fastest could get in. The ill man was left behind as everyone else rushed to get in.

The ill man shared everyone's belief that he could get well only by getting into the pool.

But because he couldn't get into the pool, he met Jesus. If he was able to get in, he would not have met Jesus.

That is such wonderful grace!

Jesus saw the man.

Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time (John 5:6)

Until this time, no one even really saw him. He was just part of the background.

Jesus saw him and made him well with the power of his words: stand up, pick up your mat and walk!

Jesus restored mercy by the pool of Bethzatha.

Our sin is not indifference. Our sin is chasing after the stirred water.

That chase makes us blind to the need of others. Indifference is the result.

Our sin is making the stirred water an idol. A replacement and substitute for God.

Idolatry was the first commandment that God gave to the Israelites.

You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above or that is on the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God. (Exodus 20:3-5)

We've made the blind pursuit of stirred water our idol. The stirred water is the thing you believe will make you better.

But like the stirred water for the ill man, it is elusive and out of your grasp.

There's always more money to be made. Better health to achieve. More approval or acceptance to gain.

That pursuit makes this world a less merciful place.

It leaves no room for the needs of others. There's no time to stop and help the person in need.

Jesus went to Jerusalem for a festival. He could have gone anywhere in Jerusalem.

He could have attended some nice exhibits. Enjoyed time with friends and family.

But he chose to go to the Sheep Gate. The Sheep Gate was a wretched place.

It was not a happy place. It's a place people wanted to leave as soon as they could.

But he chose to go to that most wretched place. And there, he approached the man who was always left behind. He went to the least among the least.

In that most wretched place, the least among them experienced mercy.

In that most wretched place, grace and truth were present in Jesus.

My friends, when you're in that most wretched place, don't chase the stirring water. Don't create false idols.

Seek Jesus. Hear him knocking at your door. Hear his voice asking if you want to be made well.

Receive the grace and healing that only Jesus can give.

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Our souls are made well only in him.

As I was preparing this sermon, I realized that it is exactly five years since I got ordained as a minister. Five years. They've flown by.

We had a wonderful ordination of Rev. Dave just last month. I still remember mine.

It was one of the happiest days of my life. It was such a joy because I was able to be ordained in this church.

I am so thankful for this church, this community.

It was this church that welcomed me back into faith. It was the place I was able to wrestle with my own calling.

Many of you were there when I shared the testimony of my calling. It was the place I experienced so much joy in my ministry as a youth pastor.

It's a place I've met so many wonderful people. All of you whose support I feel through prayers and your service.

During the dark days of COVID, many of you pulled together to keep our community strong.

I appreciate everything this community is. I am so thankful for it.

I know that many of you appreciate it too. I hear many comments like I love this community . I appreciate it .

But as I reflected, I realized something: the community can become the stirred water that we chase after.

We can fall in love with the community and forget about God. The community can become an idol that replaces God.

Instead of seeking God, we seek after the comfort of the community.

I must confess and ask whether I too have been complicit in making the community the center over God.

My friends, the community is a gift from God. It's the place we experience the grace of God.

But it cannot replace God.

Ministry has been very challenging. In the midst of joy have been many difficult moments.

When I look back on the most wretched times, the community helped, but ultimately it is God who helped me.

It is Jesus who took me out from the miry depths and made me well.

Certainly, God used people in the community to help. An encouraging word. An act of kindness.

But only Jesus restores your soul and makes you well.

In the next five years of ministry, I want to make Jesus the center.

I want this church to be the living Body of Christ.

I want this church to be a place where people come to Jesus to be healed. To get to know him and his teachings.

I want the Word of God to be central in who we are and what we do.

I want this church to be a true house of mercy.

Bethzatha was a place where sick people gathered. We are all sick people in need of healing. We are sinners who need forgiveness.

I want this church to be a place where sinners come to seek mercy from Jesus.

A place where we experience the grace and mercy of Jesus. A place where we see the suffering and needs of others. A place where Jesus lives in us and where we can be the presence of Jesus for one another.

Repent and turn away from chasing stirred water.

Turn toward and seek Jesus.

In everything you do, seek Jesus. He will make you well.

The post House of Mercy appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Psalm 23

Psalm 23 is one of the most beloved psalms of all psalms.

It is the most quoted and memorized OT Scripture. Many people wrote songs about this psalm.

Whenever we hear this psalm, we feel good. I feel good because it tells me that I am not alone.

I read this Psalm at the burial service.

To die means to be alone. The body will be buried and people all leave the site. But we are not alone even in our death.

I have a shepherd. The shepherd is always with me. I am like a sheep.

Many times, I feel lost. I don't know what to do and I don't know where to go.

Sometimes, we feel all alone. Especially, when we go through suffering, we feel all alone.

But God is my shepherd. He tells me that I am not alone. He tells me that he is with me.

That was what God told Isaiah.

Do not fear, for I am with you,   do not be afraid, for I am your God;I will strengthen you, I will help you,   I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

What was Jesus' last word while he was on earth? It is the last verse of the gospel of Matthew.

I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20)

Psalm 23 is the psalm King David wrote.

He himself was the shepherd when he was a boy. He knew what to do to take care of the sheep. He knew very well that the sheep would not be able to survive without him, the shepherd.

The shepherd was very important in the life of sheep. The shepherd did so much for the sheep. David knew that very well.

Finding green pastures was not easy. Near home, sheep already ate all the grass.

So, they had to travel many days to find green pastures. That was not an easy journey.

They carried big knives so that they can make paths by cutting weeds so that sheep could pass through.

They had to protect sheep from wild animals; snakes in the field, lions, and wolves. Sometimes they had to fight with them, risking their lives.

David knew exactly what shepherds had to do to take care of the sheep.

Then he realized that his God was his shepherd. When he thought about God, that image came to him very strongly.

The Lord is my shepherd. (Psalm 23:1)

Then he said,

I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1)

I don't need anything else. I don't lack anything.

All I need is God being my shepherd. That was David's experience. That was his confession.

Sheep did not need to create a path. Sheep did not need to find green pastures. Sheep did not protect themselves from wild animals.

It is the shepherd who creates a path. It is the shepherd who finds green pastures. It is the shepherd who protects the sheep from wild animals.

David's life was not easy. Nothing came to him easily.

Life did not come to him on a silver platter. He had to fight about everything.

When Samuel was looking for a king, he came to Jesse's house. Because God told him to go there.

He asked Jesse: Bring your sons to me. But Jesse, David's father, did not even show David to Samuel.

He even sent him away to take care of the sheep while his brothers had an important meeting with the prophet Samuel.

Because he didn't consider David as an important person. He didn't think of him as a king material.

His father did not even recognize his existence. Samuel had to probe into the father to see whether there was another son.

David was so good to king Saul but Saul constantly persecuted David because Saul was jealous and was threatened by David. He even tried to kill him.

So David had to live as a fugitive in another country.

But in all of his life experiences, he firmly believed that he was not alone. God was with him as his shepherd.

He believed; God would guide his life. God would protect him from enemies. God would provide him with his goodness.

We can see this very clearly in this psalm.

He makes me lie down in green pastures;he leads me beside still waters;   he restores my soul.He leads me in right paths   for his name's sake. (Psalm 23:2, 3)

You prepare a table before me   in the presence of my enemies. (Psalm 23:5)

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me   all the days of my life, (Psalm 23:6)

Even when he fought Goliath, he was confident because he believed that God was his shepherd and he would be with him. When he tried to get permission to fight Goliath from Saul, he shared his experiences when he was a shepherd. But David said to Saul, Your servant used to keep sheep for his father; and whenever a lion or a bear came, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after it and struck it down, rescuing the lamb from its mouth; and if it turned against me, I would catch it by the jaw, strike it down, and kill it. Your servant has killed both lions and bears; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.' (1 Samuel 17:34-36)

He related his confidence to his experience of being a shepherd. He learned this confidence by having been a shepherd.

Like David saved his sheep from a lion and a bear, God will save Israel from this ungodly man.

His image of God was clearly the image of a shepherd. He strongly believed that God was his shepherd.

Goliath, seeing David, insulted him, saying,

Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. (1 Samuel 17:43)

But this was what David said to Goliath.

You come to me with sword and spear and javelin; but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. (1 Samuel 17:45)

All his life David believed that he was not alone. Always, God was his shepherd. He didn't need anything else.

Yes, my friends, you are not alone. God is your shepherd. You don't need anything else.

You may face challenges in life. You may face dark times. You may face even crises.

But remember God is your shepherd.

This was what Jesus said.

I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. (John 10:14, 15)

Jesus knows what you need.

Jesus knows that you are sometimes lost. Jesus knows your worries and fear.

But as your good shepherd, he will provide you with what you need.

He will show you the way out. He will give you peace and confidence.

He takes care of you, risking his life.

Even when you face the most difficult time in your life, Jesus your shepherd never leaves you.

Hired hands run away when they see dangers. But our Lord, the good Shepherd sacrifices his own life to protect the sheep.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley,   I fear no evil;for you are with me;   your rod and your staff they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)

You are sheep in the good hands of the Shepherd.

The post I Lack Nothing appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Mark 6:1-13

We think we know – that is the problem. We think we see – that is the problem.

Jesus saw that as the problem,

If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, We see , your sin remains. (John 9:41)

We think we see – that makes us blind. We think we know – that makes us ignorant.

The moment you think you know, your knowledge stops. Why?

Because your limited knowledge stops the process of attaining the fuller understanding.

You think you already know. Why would you explore further?

That was what the people in Nazareth did. Jesus came back to his home town.

You see. Jesus was born in Nazareth but he did a lot of his ministry in Capernaum, which was about 50 Km away from Nazareth.

It was the hometown of Matthew, Simon Peter, and his brother, Andrew, John, and James, sons of Zebedee.

Now he came back home and preached in a synagogue. People of Nazareth heard him and they were amazed.

I think they were shocked by his wisdom and the way he taught.

He had authority in his teaching. Not just in his tone but Jesus knew what he was talking about.

That was the same response he got when he taught in Capernaum.

They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. (Mark 1:21, 22)

That was the kind of response he got in Nazareth too.

They responded in this way.

Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! (Mark 6:2)

They were shocked and were very impressed. But the reaction was different in Nazareth.

Jesus became famous in Capernaum but not in Nazareth. This was what happened in Nazareth.

Immediately after they spoke about their amazement, they said this.

Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?' And they took offence at him. (Mark 6:3)

They took offence at him. Their prejudice was kicked in and controlled their thinking.

They thought they knew Jesus.

Did they really know him? Was their knowledge of Jesus correct or complete?

Would they have known that this Jesus they thought they knew would be a person the whole world, not just Galileans, will know for next 2,000 years?

Would they have known that this Jesus they thought they knew would influence billions of people in the world and shape the way they think about life?

The moment they thought they knew Jesus, their knowledge about Jesus stopped. Because it stayed at their limited understanding.

From that point on, their prejudice controlled and guided their thinking. Not true knowledge of Jesus.

They stopped learning and understanding who Jesus was. They were entrapped in their own prejudice.

Their understanding of Jesus was so limited and so wrong and yet they held unto it as though it was the truth.

They even took offence at Jesus.

So Jesus could not do many miracles in his hometown. That's sad. Their prejudice hindered the power of God being released.

This was how Mark described the situation,

And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. (Mark 6:5)

It was not that Jesus did not have the power.

It was because their prejudice blinded them and entrapped them, and so, the power of God could not work in them.

Their knowledge stopped. Their understanding stopped. Their faith stopped.

That is not how faith works.

Faith is not memorizing doctrines you already know and regurgitate it constantly. Faith is not about strongly holding unto whatever is acceptable, comfortable to you, and verifiable.

That was the kind of faith Paul had before he met Christ. His faith was about holding unto the law and keeping the law, and protecting the law.

Through his faith, he even tried to protect God. That's why he arrested and killed Christians. Because he believed that they were destroying God.

Christians were not destroying God. They destroyed Paul's prejudice. That was what he was scared.

Paul was not protecting God. He was protecting his own prejudice.

He didn't realize that faith was not about holding unto right statements, right doctrines, and right theories but it was about the power that releases God's grace. He didn't realize that.

Only after meeting Christ, he saw that.

Only after his prejudices were shattered, he was able to see what he could not see before.

Only after something like a scale fell off from his eyes, he could see what he was supposed to see.

His experience on the road to Damascus was nothing but his prejudice being demolished.

After the Damascus experience, Paul realized that faith has the power to defeat the power of darkness.

It has the power to forgive sins. It has the power to heal the broken hearted. It has the power to raise the dead.

When you have faith, your understanding does not stop. Your understanding gets deeper and deeper. Never stops.

Your understanding goes beyond yourself. Your understanding does not get stuck in your own knowledge.

More than anything else, faith releases God's grace. Through God's grace, the way you see yourself changes.

Once St. Paul had this supernatural experience. He called it going to the third heaven.

It was not the experience he could articulate with his knowledge. All he could say was I don't know.

This was what he said.

I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows. And I know that such a person whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows (2 Corinthians 12:2, 3)

But immediately after that experience, he received this thorn which tormented him. This thorn made him weak. Miserable.

So he prayed that this thorn be removed. He wanted to be strong.

Who doesn't want to be strong? But this thorn made him weak.

But God did not remove his thorns. He did not become strong.

This was what God gave.

My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Instead of removing thorns, he released God's grace.

Instead of making him strong, God let him experience God's strength through his weakness.

So St. Paul confessed,

Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10)

That is the power of grace. Through faith, grace is released to you, and through the power of grace, even your weaknesses become your strength.

Your prejudice not only stops your knowledge but it also blocks you from having faith.

That's why people of Nazareth, even though they were amazed at Jesus' teaching, could not have faith.

Jesus' teaching could not bring about the power of God in them. They were rather offended.

Jesus was amazed at the power of prejudice too.

This was what Jesus said.

And he was amazed at their unbelief. (Mark 6:6)

My friends, if you are filled with prejudices, you will never grow. You will never have faith. You will never have understanding.

You will never experience the power of God in your life.

Christian journey is not about covering yourself with layers of prejudices but about uncovering one layer after another.

And you will be filled with God's wonders.

The post Prejudices Block the Flow of Grace appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Mark 6:14-29

What is a good life? What is the kind of life that's worth living?

I think that a good life is to do what is right in every situation.

To be driven by an inner sense of truth and what is good. Rather than by what is advantageous or beneficial for me.

I think a good life is to seek the good of others in every situation. Not just my own benefit and advantage.

These things are all part of being a disciple of Jesus. In that sense, being a disciple of Jesus is the most beautiful life.

It is a life that bears fruit. It makes a difference in the lives of others. It seeks to do what's right and just.

Discipleship is about making room for God and others.

This is what Jesus said about discipleship:

If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. (Mark 8:34)

Denying yourself is to remove yourself from the centre.

Following Jesus is to live like he did.

Serving others. Putting the needs of others above his own. Even accepting the rejection and suffering that may come from such a life.

Jesus also said this:

For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. (Mark 8:35)

If you lose yourself for the sake of Christ and others, you will find yourself. That is the true secret of discipleship.

But that's not an easy journey. It doesn't come naturally.

The most natural thing is to put yourself at the center. And to seek what's most advantageous for you in each situation.

Discipleship is the journey of change to become more and more like Jesus, who was able to put others before himself and do what's right in every situation.

Today's story of Herod is a warning about the pitfalls to discipleship.

Herod arrested John because his criticism threatened Herod's power.

But a strange thing happened: his wife hated John and wanted to kill him, but Herod became drawn to him.

He protected John.

Somehow, the words of John spoke to him.

When he (Herod) heard him (John), he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him. (Mark 6:20)

The words of John challenged Herod. They made him pause and examine himself.

They were difficult words, but he liked listening to him. It was like his soul began to experience some healing.

But Herod lived in the world of power and politics. His attention was divided.

The birthday banquet he put on was not merely a happy birthday celebration. It was a political power play.

He invited all the powerful people who helped keep him in power. The party was to secure his standing and power. It was to show that he was in charge.

His own self-indulgence and hubris led him to make the impulsive declaration to grant any wish to his daughter. She requested John's head.

Herod was deeply grieved by the request.

You see the cruelty of the world he lived in. It was nothing to kill someone and bring their head.

This was the world Herod lived in.

Herod was didn't want to kill the person who was leading him to greater truth. But in this tense situation, his reputation and power were at stake.

All eyes were on him when his daughter made the request.

When it came to preserving his own power or the life of an innocent man, he did not hesitate.

The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John's head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. (Mark 6:26-28)

Cold and calculating self-preservation won out over truth and justice. It was no contest.

Mark has an important warning for us about the life of discipleship.

The greatest pitfall to discipleship is a divided heart.

You may love God. You may desire to do the right thing.

But when your heart is divided, the needs of the situation and your self-preservation take priority over your inner sense of what is right and just.

The right thing to do was to save the life of an innocent and righteous man. But to preserve his power, the innocent man became expendable.

Truth and righteousness were secondary.

That's the world we live in right now.

People react to the needs of the situation. Whatever is advantageous for them, they do, regardless of the effects it may have on others.

All ideals and principles have gone out the window. People are not driven by what is right and just.

There is no putting the needs of others above yourself. It's simply take care of me and my family, and let everyone else take care of themselves.

This is not the kind of world I want to live in. It's not the world I want for my children. It's not the world I want them to continue.

There has to be a better way to live.

That better way was shown through the cross.

Jesus lived the right way. He did not calculate. He loved and did the right thing to the very end, even at the cost of his life.

What might have been different for Herod? If he allowed John's word and message to sink in, he may have changed.

John became famous as a truth teller.

He was a strange man who lived in the desert, wore camel's hair and ate locusts.

But he led many people to repent and turn their lives around because he spoke powerful words of truth.

I believe the only thing that can change a person is the Word of God. That's what I believe. That's been my own experience.

It's not good enough simply to want to change. Only the truth of God's Word has the power to change you.

To change, God's Word has to be planted deep in your heart and be given the time and space to grow.

In some ways, because of his power, Herod had the advantage of a private audience with John.

It was like having his own personal Bible studies with him! What an opportunity this was! And he squandered it because his heart was divided.

God's Word cannot take root in a divided heart.

Jesus told the parable of the sower.

The sower sows the word. The seed, which is the word, falls on all kinds of soil.

One of them is a seed that falls among thorns.

This is what he says about them:

And others are those sown among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing. (Mark 4:18-19)

I believe this articulates our lives today. That's the persecution we face today.

There is no room and space for the word to grow. To take root. To yield its fruit.

The fruit of the Word is an enlarged heart. A heart that has room for others. A heart led by truth.

The life of discipleship must be nurtured and nourished by the Word. That can only happen in an undivided heart.

My friends, the reality of life is that our attention is always divided.

Everyone demands our attention. Our kids, our friends, our technologies.

My mind is always racing because there are so many things to think about.

Our attention might be divided, but our hearts must not be.

Psalm 119 is the longest psalm in the Bible. Do you know what it's about?

It's all about meditating on God's word, and letting that word guide you.

Here's just a sample from the beginning of it:

Happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord. Happy are those who seek his decrees, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong but walk in his ways. You have commanded that your precepts be kept diligently. O that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! (Psalm 119:1-5)

He then goes on to talk about young people:

How can young people keep their way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; do not let me stray from your commandments. I treasure your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you. (Psalm 119:9-11)

It's a beautiful psalm. It was my favourite psalm while I was growing up.

I recommend that everyone read it. Treasure it. Imprint it on your heart.

Being blameless or pure is not about being sinless or morally faultless. It is about keeping your heart undivided.

Seeking God's will and word with all of your heart.

Letting God's truth soak into your heart so that God's truth, not the situation, may drive your life.

Make this psalmist's prayer your own:

Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart to revere your name. (Psalm 86:11)

Pray for an undivided heart that seeks God and God's will.

Your life will bear beautiful fruit. You will experience great joy.

The post The Greatest Pitfall to Discipleship appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

2 Corinthians 8:7-15

I thank God for everything that I have.

All I have comes from God. Good health, good food, good family, good church, and good life – they all come from God.

In that sense, I will say life is a gift. I see life as a gift.

Jesus gave us a very interesting story. Through this story, he makes a very important point.

There was an owner of a vineyard. Early in the morning he went out and saw people not working. He told them to come to his vineyard and work.

And at noon, he went out again and found some people again. He told them to come and work.

Even one hour before, he went out and there were still people who didn't have work. So he called them to come to his vineyard and work.

At the end of the day, he paid them, starting from people who came one hour before.

Surprisingly, he gave them one denarion, which was one day's full wage. They worked only one hour.

Later, he paid the people who came early in the morning and paid the same one denarion, which was the full wage.

People who came in the morning were upset. I understand why they were upset. I would be upset too.

But one thing was clear.

For people who came one hour before, one denarion was the gift. They went home recognizing that life is a gift.

How do you see your life?

Do you see it as a gift?

If you are able to see your life as a gift, that's wonderful. Not many people do that. It is not easy to see life as a gift.

The abundance we enjoy is a gift. It is a gift of grace.

St. Paul said in the next chapter.

And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8)

Don't turn gifts into possessions. There is a difference between gifts and possessions.

If it is a gift, you share it with others.

If it is a possession, you own it. You keep it to yourself.

We don't own anything. Everything flows from God. And returns to God.

Life we have in this world is God's gift. When that life is over, it returns to God. We don't own life. The life we enjoy is God's gift.

Let me read 2 Corinthians 9:8 again.

And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8)

You may share abundantly in every good work. That is the conclusion.

When you consider life as a gift, that's what you do. You share it with others.

You share your talents. You share your money. You share your time.

That is what St. Paul said in the beginning of today's passage.

Now as you excel in everything in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking. (2 Corinthians 8:7)

Corinthian church was a rich church. Compared to the church in Philippi, they were quite well off. But they were not as generous as the church in Philippi.

Northern part is Macedonia. And the southern part is Achaia. The church in Philippi belonged to Macedonia and the church in Corinth belonged to Achaia.

Achaia was much more affluent than Macedonia. But it was the church in Philippi which was much more generous.

People in Philippi understood the truth that life is a gift. People in Corinth did not yet understand this truth.

So St. Paul had to teach them about generous giving.

People in Corinth consider themselves spiritual, faithful, and wise. But they didn't yet know how to share.

Read verse 7 again. You see that kind of tone in Paul's message.

Now as you excel in everything in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking. (2 Corinthians 8:7)

They thought they had good faith, and good knowledge of God.

They thought they were good Christians and yet they didn't know the secret of seeing their life as a gift. So they didn't know how to share.

Even spiritual gifts – they consider them as possessions rather than as gifts.

When you read Paul's first letter to them, he mentioned the problem in the Corinthian church.

They were fighting with each other for the gifts they had. They were fighting about whose gift is greater.

Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? (1 Corinthians 12:29, 30)

They were divided by the spiritual gifts they had. They turned the gifts of the Spirit into their personal possessions.

They were fighting with each other about who is greater. Whose gift is greater.

That's why St. Paul said,

To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. (1 Corinthians 12:7)

There are just different gifts. They are not your personal possessions.

God gives you gifts for the common good.

So, St. Paul said at the end of chapter 12 of 1 Corinthians,

But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. (1 Corinthians 12:31)

Then in chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians, he wrote the most famous chapter on love.

If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)

Love is the best gift. The best gift is love.

Love, if it is not shared, what is it? Love is love when it is shared.

In the same way, a gift is a gift when it is shared. When it is not shared, it is only a possession.

When early Christians received the Holy Spirit, they experienced the abundance. They experienced that life was the gift.

So what did they do? This was what they did.

All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. (Acts 2:44, 45)

They shared.

They experienced that life was a gift and so they shared what they had with each other.

That's what the Spirit does to us. It helps us understand that life is a gift.

When you see life as a gift, then your life becomes abundant. Because you share.

When you start sharing, life becomes beautiful. Everything becomes beautiful.

There is a poem by Cecil Frances Alexander. Our choir sang this song a few times.

All things bright and beautiful,all creatures great and small,all things wise and wonderful,the Lord God made them all.Each little flow’r that opens,each little bird that sings,He made their glowing colors,He made their tiny wings.The cold wind in the winter,the pleasant summer sun,the ripe fruits in the garden:He made them every one.He gave us eyes to see them,and lips that we might tellhow great is God Almighty,who has made all things well.

Jesus showed the ultimate example of how to live your life as a gift.

For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)

That is what we believe about Jesus. That is what we believe about our life.

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Mark 4:35-41

Life is not in your control. That is the basic truth in life.

Jesus led the disciples into the boat to cross over to the other side. But a great storm came upon them.

Our life is like that. We need to get into the boat to get to the other side.

But storms can come at any moment. You cannot control when they come, or whether they come.

Storms are powerful forces. They can be overwhelming.

You are so small compared to the big storm. You are helpless in it. You can only try to withstand it and come out of it alive.

Storms create havoc and difficulty. But most of the time, they come and go. If you can withstand that storm, it will pass and calm will come. Storms are powerful, but most of the time, they're temporary.

Storms may come and go, but their effects can remain.

The real power of the storm is the fear it leaves in your heart.

That's the issue Jesus focuses on when he asks this question:

Why are you afraid? (Mark 4:40)

At the retreat, I shared the story of my year at the small law firm.

It was the year from hell. Being yelled at by my boss on a regular basis. Being chained to the desk 12 hours a day.

After I quit that job, I started my criminal law practice. I rented an office in the basement of a law chambers.

My landlord was a lawyer. When he walked by my office, I would tense up and get stressed out. He was not my boss. I was paying HIM rent.

I was no longer at my old job. But the effects of that stormy year were still with me.

The greatest power of storms is the fear it leaves in your heart.

Storms are powerful. The storm overpowered the disciples.

But Jesus had even greater power. That's what Mark wants to show.

Jesus had power to still the storm.

Often, our circumstances themselves become the storm.

Financial difficulty becomes the storm. Bad health. A difficult and strained relationship.

These storms make us anxious, fearful and overwhelmed.

But Jesus is more powerful than those storms.

Jesus doesn't necessarily take those circumstances away. But he nullifies the power of these storms.

He makes it so that those circumstances are no longer a storm.

Those same circumstances may exist, but they're no longer a storm. It is calm water.

How amazing that is! That is the power of Jesus.

Maybe financial difficulties are still there. Maybe you're still in poor health. But they are no longer storms.

They no longer have power to strike fear in your heart. You can live with it.

It no longer overpowers you or strikes fear in your heart. You can face it with great calmness.

When you have no more fear, you're free. That's when you can really live your life. You can live your life the way you're supposed to.

Be driven by bigger purpose and dreams. Let love and passion drive you.

Living without fear is the best life to live.

A life connected with Christ is a powerful life that's free from fear.

You have the power of Christ that stills storms. The storms become calm and have no more effect on you.

What a gift! What a treasure.

That is what St. Paul discovered in Christ.

That is why knowing Christ became the most precious to him:

I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him… I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:8, 10)

To know Christ is to know his power.

Faith is trust in the power of Christ. That faith gives you peace.

With that faith, you can withstand the storms of life and not become fearful. This is why faith is a gift.

I've come to realize that you never know what your faith really is until you encounter your own storms in life.

Faith is not what you say or think it is. Faith is how you respond to storms that overwhelm you and make you feel helpless.

The disciples left everything to follow Jesus. They were so inspired by his teachings, healings and miracles.

But when the storms came and overwhelmed them, they didn't have faith. They were just like us.

But the good news is that today's story is not about your faith. It's about what Jesus does.

The disciples did not yet have faith. But what they did do was call out to Jesus. They didn't just call out, they woke him up.

They woke him up and said to him, Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing? (Mark 4:38)

Jesus responded:

And waking up, he rebuked the wind and said to the sea, Be silent! Be still! Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. (Mark 4:38)

It's not about your faith. It's about what God does.

Jesus, do you not care? The answer is a resounding yes , I do.

God is merciful. God hears your cry. God is awake to your calling out.

I lift up my eyes to the hills from where will my help come?My help comes from the Lord,who made heaven and earth.He will not let your foot be moved;he who keeps you will not slumber.He who keeps Israelwill neither slumber nor sleep. (Psalm 121:1-4)

Whether or not you have faith is not the issue here.

When the storms hit you, cry out to God.

You do not need strong faith right away. You simply need to cry out to God when you feel powerless and overwhelmed.

Don't try to figure things out on your own. Don't turn away from God.

Cry out to God. God will hear you and respond.

The disciples witnessed the great power of Jesus. The one who stilled the storm.

This was their response:

And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? (Mark 4:41)

When you experience the great power of God in your life, you will be filled with great awe. That is the beginning of faith.

Yesterday we had the funeral for Jacob. It was a difficult funeral.

Jacob was so young. He still had so much life to live. So many things to experience. Our hearts break for Marie and their children.

But we reflected how it's not the length of life we live but the quality of life we live.

Jacob lived a good quality of life. He lived it fully.

Our time on earth is short. If we can stretch it out longer, that's a blessing.

More than the length, it's about the quality of life we live while we have life. And that life is to live free from fear.

The disciples did not have faith at first. But by the end, they had faith.

That faith freed them from fear. They lived boldly. That faith became the seed for our faith

As you experience the power of God in your life, your faith will grow.

God will grow your faith into a mighty source of strength that can withstand any storm without fear. That is what God will do.

But right now, even if you don't have faith, take heart that God hears your cry.

When storms come into your life, cry out to God. Let Jesus do powerful things in your life.

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