St Timothy Presbyterian Church in Toronto: Sermons

Deuteronomy 26:1-11

When I think about people today, there's a word that comes to my mind: overwhelmed.

I sense that people are just overwhelmed. Overwhelmed by the demands placed on them. Their time. Energy. Attention.

It is true, our senses are overwhelmed, our brains are overwhelmed. We can't even sit still: our phones demand our attention.

But I think there's a deeper force that leads people to feel overwhelmed. It's that the anchors people rely on are crumbling.

In Canada, we're going through a huge change.

For our entire lifetimes, the United States was our anchor. Our identity as Canadians was closely tied to the United States, whether we like it or not.

We liked to say that we're not Americans, but even saying that reveals just how closely tied we were to them.

They were our economic anchor. They were our security anchor. We could live safely, peacefully and prosperously because we had a strong, rich, friendly neighbour to the south.

But all that has changed in just two months.

Canada is very alone and vulnerable right now. We cannot rely exclusively on the United States for our economy.

But it will take time to diversify our trading relationships. Even geographically we are isolated – the only neighbour we have is the United States.

I have concerns about the future; I don't know what will happen.

Today's passage is the final speech of Moses to the Israelites.

It begins this way:

When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you (Deuteronomy 26:1)

They are still in the wilderness.

In the wilderness, the Israelites had no anchor. Their only thing they knew before freedom was their life in slavery.

That's why even though they were free in the wilderness, many times the people complained to Moses. They would say that at least in Egypt we had food to eat!

In the wilderness, they had absolutely no anchors but God.

They had to learn how to trust completely in God. They trusted God for everything: food, water, shelter and where to go.

It took a whole generation. Over 40 years. The first generation all died in the wilderness. A new generation was born.

But finally, by the end, they knew their anchor was God. They became God's people.

Our identity is always in connection with something or someone else.

I am not just Simon. Even my name is not from me – it was given to me by my parents. I am their son. I am Joonie and Abby's dad. I am a pastor of St. Timothy.

I am always someone in relation to someone or something else.

For me, the most important part of my identity is that I am a child of God. God is the unchanging anchor that I pin my identity to.

That was the main outcome of the Israelites in the wilderness: they became God's people by pinning their identity to God. They and God became one.

My friends, in these times, we feel no true anchor in this world. Anything can change. And that can be overwhelming.

But we HAVE an unchanging anchor.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. God is steadfast, unchanging and forever faithful.

That is who we pin our identity on.

If your identity as God's child is clear, steadfast and unchanging, then you can get through ANYTHING in life!

That's how important your identity is. You are a child of God. You are God's.

If you know who you are, if you know whose you are, then you will withstand anything that comes your way.

Moses' main concern was whether the people would maintain their identity.

Their time in the wilderness was coming to an end. A whole generation had passed away, and a new one emerged. They would enter a new environment filled with new challenges.

Would they remain attached to God, or would they attach themselves to other things?

That was the great question and concern in Moses' mind. Who would they be?

That's the question for us.

In today's passage, Moses institutes spiritual practices so that people would maintain their identity as God's people.

That is what today's passage is all about: how the people maintain their identity as the people of God in new and changing environments.

Those practices are just as relevant for us today.

When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess and you possess it and settle in it, you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name. You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time and say to him, Today I declare to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.' (Deuteronomy 26:1-2)

Moses instituted the first fruit offering. This is where we get our practice of tithing from.

Give to God before you take anything for yourself

What does this achieve?

It affirms your connection to God. It acknowledges who gave you this fruit in the first place.

You may have been the one to harvest the land, but it was God who gave you the land in the first place.

There's an old Korean custom I learned growing up. When you start a new job, you give your first paycheque to your parents.

It's an acknowledgement of their hard work and sacrifice to help you get to where you are. It's affirming your relationship with them. I think it's a beautiful custom.

Giving your first fruit to God: that is affirming your identity as a child of God.

That is something that was instilled deeply in the first generation.

During COVID, when we could not meet in person, people would deliver their offering envelopes in person. When they miss a week at church, the next week they bring two weeks of offering.

We need to learn from these things.

When presenting the first fruit, the people were to say this:

Today I declare to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.' (Deuteronomy 26:1-2)

After that, this was his instruction:

When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the Lord your God, you shall make this response before the Lord your God: A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me.' (Deuteronomy 26:4-10)

While giving their offering, they remember all that God has done. Not just that, but especially how God came in their darkest moments and helped them.

My friends, we are here because God has been with us. God has helped you.

All of you have faced great challenges. Overcome great difficulties. Many of you still are dealing with great challenges.

But God has been with you. God has brought you to this point. God is carrying you now.

Sometimes when we look back, we don't know how we made it. But we realize that it was God who did.

When I really look back, there were so many dark, difficult moments. I don't know why or how God helped me. But somehow, God did.

I am so blessed now – I don't deserve any of them. When I think of how God has been with me, it brings tears to my eyes.

In that sense, it is nothing to give the first fruits to God. Of course God deserves that first portion. God was everything when I was nothing.

That's the attitude we bring to offering. By reciting the past, God once again becomes center in the present.

You shall set it down before the Lord your God and bow down before the Lord your God. (Deuteronomy 26:10)

Our offering song was simple and beautiful. We fall down, we lay our crowns, at the feet of Jesus. We cry Holy Holy Holy is the lamb!

That is our worship. With thanksgiving, we give to God and fall down in worship.

That is what we do.

Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house. (Deuteronomy 26:11)

After worship and thanksgiving, there is a celebration! Levites were the priests. Aliens are the strangers in their midst.

So with the pastors and people from all over, we celebrate!

That's what happens in our Fellowship Hall.

I know it can seem intimidating to go into a hall full of people. It's hard for introverts.

But from a spiritual perspective, our fellowship time is a great celebration of the God who has been with us. Everyone is a part of that celebration.

These were practices that Moses left so that Israel could affirm its identity as God's children.

This is not just a one-time thing.

God has given us the gift of the Sabbath. A weekly rhythm of rest and making life blessed again.

Sabbath is a day of rest. But rest is not doing nothing....

Luke 9:28-36

Today's passage gives us a wonderful scene. A glorious scene!

While Jesus was praying, his face changed. His clothes became dazzling.

Two dead people appeared. They were not just dead people. They were like pillars of the Old Testament.

Moses represented the Law. Elijah represented the Prophet. So the Law and the Prophet, the core tradition of the Old Testament.

What a glorious scene! It's a miracle. It was out-of-this-world experience.

I need that these days. The reality is so harsh that I need something out of this world.

The world we live in is a very difficult world. Especially for those who are weak and powerless, this world becomes more and more difficult to survive.

Yesterday was 3.1. It is a special day for Koreans. They protested against Japanese occupation. The powerless fought against the powerful. Many Christians participated in this movement.

But now the powerless has no place to stand. Our reality is harsh; I need fantasy.

The Scripture tells us about a few wonderful out-of-this-world experiences people had.

It is the intervention of God. It is God's way of entering into this world. It is God's special touch.

On the road to Damascus, Paul had this intervention of God.

He was going to arrest Christians, imprison them and kill them. He was exercising his power and authority on the weak and the vulnerable.

But on the way, he experienced the bright light shining around him. And he heard Jesus talking to him.

By then, Jesus was already dead. And Paul knew that.

He heard the voice of Jesus telling him, Saul, Saul, (His Hebrew name) why do you persecute me?

Why are you doing this to my powerless people? Persecuting those who are weak and vulnerable is persecuting me.

Out-of-this-world experience!

It happened to Isaiah too.

He was in the temple. He described his experience in this way.

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;the whole earth is full of his glory.' (Isaiah 6:1-3)

Out-of-this-world Experience!

Elijah also had this kind of experience.

He (God) said, Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.' Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, What are you doing here, Elijah?' (1 Kings 19:11-13)

Out of this world Experience!

I discover one common thing of all those who had this wonderful glorious moment.

They were all facing their harsh reality. They were all going through hard times before this happened.

Isaiah was struggling with his own inadequacy and sinfulness, living in a sinful surroundings. This was what he said.

Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts! (Isaiah 6:5)

Elijah was so deeply depressed that he wanted to die. This was what he said.

He asked that he might die: It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors. (1 Kings 19:4)

Even in Jesus' case, this was what he said just before he experienced the transfiguration on the mountain.

The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. (Luke 9:22)

Jesus was facing his own death.

Sometimes God intervenes in our life.

God shows his grace in a special way. Not necessarily only through the forms of miracles and supernatural experiences.

But there are times when God specially touches you, awakens you, and inspires you. These are glorious moments.

This happens when you are going through difficult times.

When life is difficult, God appears to you and makes his presence evident. God's presence empowers you, transforms you, and lets you experience glorious moment.

But my friends, God gives you this wonderful experience not just to console you and comfort you but to PREPARE you. To prepare you to take the challenges ahead of you.

God prepared Paul to be an apostle to the Gentiles.

How about Isaiah?

After this experience, God said this.

Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? (Isaiah 6:8)

Isaiah said,

Here am I; send me! (Isaiah 6:8)

Elijah too. Elijah said this.

I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away. (1 Kings 19:14)

To Elijah, God said this.

I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him. (1 Kings 19:18)

And go and do what you have to do.

God gives us this wonderful divine experience so that we are ready to take our challenges.

When you carefully read today's passage, you see that the central message is not the divine experience but the central message is what was coming ahead.

Let me read it for you.

Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. (Luke 9:30, 31)

What departure? Jesus' Death. The Cross.

They were talking about Jesus' death. They were talking about what Jesus was about to do.

The glorious moment you experience with God is to prepare you to deal with your harsh reality.

Every Sunday, you come and worship God. It is a wonderful experience. Thank you all for making this worship service very special.

But we should not just feel good about experiencing God's inspiration. This is to prepare you to deal with challenges you face every day from tomorrow.

Tomorrow you have challenges ahead of you. There are problems you have to face.

That was what Jesus did right after the transfiguration. The very next day, this happened.

On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. Just then a man from the crowd shouted, Teacher, I beg you to look at my son; he is my only child. Suddenly a spirit seizes him, and all at once he shrieks. It throws him into convulsions until he foams at the mouth; it mauls him and will scarcely leave him. I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.' Jesus answered, You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.' While he was coming, the demon dashed him to the ground in convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. And all were astounded at the greatness of God. (Luke 9:37-43)

Yes, the very next day, Jesus had to deal with the darkness, the evil power, and the poor victims in his life.

Tomorrow, from Monday, you have to deal with challenges in your life. Relationship problems. Health problems. Financial problems. Deal with evils around you.

God will be with you. God will strengthen you. God will show you the power to deal with your challenges.

There will be God's intervention.

The post A Glorious Moment in Difficult Times appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Luke 6:27-38

Jesus is our Lord. But Jesus was also a flesh and blood human being. His ministry took place among flesh and blood human beings.

Jesus' message to them was that the kingdom of God was at hand. Something new was being born.

What was the main point about the kingdom of God?

Put simply, it was this: you are not merely a victim of your circumstances, but you are empowered to live a better way.

Today's passage is the first lesson Jesus gives to his listeners.

Love your enemies.

Why did he begin with this?

He was addressing a critical issue for his audience.

His listeners were not people living comfortably, there for a good and entertaining lecture. They were desperate, poor, struggling peasants and commoners in the countryside and small villages.

Life had become very difficult for commoners in Galilee. They were forced into debt. They lost their land. They were left behind economically, politically, socially.

When things get difficult, the first thing to get affected is unity.

The hardships they faced eroded the bonds that held them together. Their difficult circumstances made former friends enemies. Former neighbours adversaries.

Hatred and mistreatment grew among people.

They were victims of forces and decisions beyond their control. But Jesus is saying: don't be victims of your circumstances.

If you react to hate; If you curse those who curse you; If you mistreat those who mistreat you; Aren't you merely a victim of your circumstances?

You don't have control over their actions or behaviours. But you allow those behaviours to shape yours. The behaviours and actions of others take control over you.

Offering your other cheek; Giving your shirt after they've already taken your coat; Are these signs of weakness?

No. They are signs of an empowered person.

One who is making their own choice.

Jesus' message is that you have agency. You have the power to live a different way.

You may not be able to change your circumstances, but you can change how you live.

The kingdom of God is this: people who live a new way despite present circumstances. A new way defined by God's will that goes against present circumstances.

Jesus came to show that a new way is possible. The kingdom of God is not something that takes place in the afterlife. It is something that is present now.

Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed, nor will they say, Look, here it is!' or There it is!' For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you. (Luke 17:20-21)

This is a radical message for life. You can live a different way from your circumstances or environment.

I don't want to underestimate our circumstances. They have a huge effect on your life.

I know some people are dealing with health issues. Others are dealing with financial challenges or finding a job. Others are very anxious by the political uncertainties in the world.

Difficult circumstances instill fear, uncertainty, anxiety.

Our circumstances are so powerful. They are powerful because they become so much larger than us.

Last Sunday, our sanctuary was quite empty because of all the snow. We had no control over nature. We were at its mercy.

Circumstances are like that.

Because they are so large, they influence us deeply. They affect how you feel. How you think.

But what Jesus is saying is that yes, they are powerful and real, but still, you do not need to become a slave to your circumstances.

Human beings are very adaptable. We've learned to adapt and survive in all sorts of environments. It is an important skill.

But if all you do is adapt and survive, then you will not be free. You will continue to be a slave to your circumstances.

Sometimes, we need to fight against the circumstances and work to change them.

When things are unfair or unjust, we should speak truth and resist. If your health is not great, then you should seek the best medical help and do everything you can to improve your health.

But more important is your attitude and thinking.

Do not let your circumstances dictate how you think, feel and behave.

Circumstances will come and be beyond your control. But do not let them control your thinking. Don't just react to them with your emotions. If you do, then you are just a victim of your circumstances.

The people listening to Jesus had adapted to the hostility around them.

They began to think like those in a hostile environment. They began to feel like them. Talk like them. They all became part of that environment and perpetuated it.

Jesus came to break that cycle. He came to break the grip that circumstances in this world have on you.

Jesus came to bring freedom and the possibility of a new start.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (2 Corinthians 3:17)

Freedom to live the right way. Freedom to do the right thing. Freedom to live by the golden rule:

Do to others as you would have them do to you. (Luke 6:31)

If you are not free, you cannot treat others as you would have them treat you. If you're not free, how you treat others will depend on how your circumstances are affecting you. You will not be consistent.

Jesus came to bring freedom. But freedom comes with a cost.

You have to struggle for it. You have to fight for it.

Many Canadians are uneasy by all this talk about becoming the 51st state. I don't know how serious they are. But if they are, and we want to maintain our freedom and independence, it will come at a cost.

St. Paul's core belief is that we have been rescued from the bondage of our sins. Sins no longer have dominion over us.

We are free in Christ. But that freedom came at a cost. The cost of his life and blood on the cross.

Jesus was not a victim of his circumstance. He lived an empowered life, filled with the Holy Spirit.

He loved his enemies. He did good to those who hated him. He blessed those who cursed him. He prayed for those who mistreated him. He allowed himself to be hung on the cross.

Those of us who follow Jesus are not mere victims of circumstance. We are empowered by his Spirit of freedom.

We may not control our circumstances. We may have no say in what happens around us. But we will not let them have control over us.

Today's passage reminds me of the Freedom Movement in the 1960's. Martin Luther King Jr articulated a new response to their situation: nonviolent resistance.

In a society filled with hatred and violence, they resisted it with nonviolence. They met hatred with love. When they were struck, they offered the other cheek.

The real power of the movement lay in the change that occurred in millions of black people across the country. They discovered that they were no longer mere victims of their circumstance.

Before, they were mere victims of racism, hatred and evil. They lived in fear of violence and hatred.

But now they realized that they were not mere victims. They were somebodies. They had a say in how they lived. They could react differently to the hatred and violence of others.

In responding to violence with nonviolence, they became an empowered people. The kingdom of God was alive among them.

Their example inspired millions of people around the world. They fueled global movements for change and justice.

We need that spirit to come alive today. We need empowered people who live differently than our environment and circumstances dictate.

Our context today is very challenging. The issues are so much more complex.

It's hard to know what's right from what's wrong. It's hard to know what to fight for, and what to fight against. It's easy to give up and withdraw from caring.

Jesus gave us gift to be empowered: the gift of prayer.

Prayer is our access and lifeline to the empowering Spirit of Jesus.

Prayer gives us the strength we need to carry on our own path in the midst of difficult circumstances.

Prayer keeps us from being passive victims of these complex and overwhelming circumstances.

When circumstances threaten to overwhelm you; When they tire your spirit; Come to Jesus in prayer.

He will grant you his Spirit to live an empowered life in the kingdom of God.

The post Don’t Be A Victim, Be Empowered appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

1 Corinthians 15:12-20

When does a person deteriorate?

What I means is When does a person become weak, frail, dark, and negative?

When does a person become overly critical, not happy, gloomy, and feel hopeless?

I think that happens when your thinking is deteriorated.

The other day, I was talking with a person who just retired. I asked, How is your retired life? He said, Good. I do a lot of things. When I do a lot of things, I don't think about death too much.

That was interesting, I thought when I heard it. But I think he is right. There is wisdom in what he said.

If you think about death all the time, definitely, you will soon become deteriorated.

I visit many people at the hospital. I realized that after they were diagnosed, they became much more quickly deteriorated.

It is all to do with your thinking.

That was what happened at the church in Corinth. When they first heard the message from St. Paul, they were ecstatic.

They received the message of the good news. First time, they heard about the message of resurrection.

When Paul preached that in Athens which is very close to Corinth, this was people's reaction.

May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? It sounds rather strange to us, so we would like to know what it means. (Acts 17:19-20)

Corinthian people also found it strange but soon they were able to receive the message of resurrection.

When they believed the message, they experienced the power of the resurrection. They were filled with joy and eternal hope.

But soon, their thinking became deteriorated.

They focused more on day to day living. They worried about what to eat, what to wear. They worried about their businesses. They worried about their children. They worried about their own death. Their thinking became weak.

When their thinking became weak, everything fell apart.

There were sexual corruptions. They created factions and fought with each other. They became very divisive. They neglected the poor around them.

Their spirituality became very self-focused. Their spiritual gifts made them proud and arrogant.

When their thinking became weak, their life became dark. Morality, principles, spirituality – everything went down the drain.

Ultimately, they doubted about their own resurrection. Their belief deteriorated.

That was why Paul raised this question.

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? (1 Corinthians 15:12)

They didn't raise this doubt when they first received the message from St. Paul.

That's why it was possible that the church was established in Corinth.

But now some people at the church could not accept the resurrection. When their thinking became weak, their belief became frail.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the core belief that we Christians hold unto.

If there is no belief in the resurrection, there is no Christianity. On resurrection, Christianity is established.

If the cross were the end, then there is no point in believing.

If the cross were the end, then the evil won. God is defeated by the evil, the darkness, and the death. There is no hope for us.

The whole theology and all Christian thinking depend on the truth that there is resurrection.

Death is not the end. There is resurrection after the death.

Death did not win. Life defeated death.

That's what we believe.

Jesus exemplified what our destiny would be. He created the path to the eternal life for us.

As God raised Jesus from the dead, he will raise us from the dead.

People who were martyred died with the hope of resurrection. If there is no resurrection, their death is in vain.

That was what St. Paul firmly reiterated in today's passage.

If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:13-14)

All my life, I have been in ministry. All my life, I have preached about the resurrection.

If there is no resurrection, I have lived all my life for nothing.

I can feel what Paul was saying today.

If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have died in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1 Corinthians 15:17-19)

Belief in the resurrection is tough.

The resurrection is not something that you can prove theoretically or empirically.

That is the nature of belief.

Belief is different from knowing. Knowing is intellectually convinced or convicted.

Belief is spiritually accepting the truth.

Knowing is in your limited capacity. You can only know what you can intellectually understand.

But belief is accepting what is much bigger than yourself.

The good will win over the evil. The truth shall set you free.

It's hard to believe these days but ultimately justice will prevail. That is all in the realm of belief.

These are things you can accept only through your belief. There is no logical necessity that the good will win over the evil.

But we believe that. And we live by that belief.

Jesus said to Martha.

I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? (John 11:25, 26)

Jesus didn't say, Do you know this or do you understand this. Jesus said, Do you believe this?

Because it is realm of belief.

Belief is not about being intellectually convinced.

Belief is accepting the world of truth that is much bigger than my world. Much bigger than what we can process with our intellectual understanding.

So, I realized that belief is not something that I do with my brain but I practice to accept the truth that came to me.

Belief is about practicing it. You practice to believe.

Daily you practice to believe. After practicing it, see what happens.

When your thinking deteriorates, your belief deteriorates. You become small. You become locked up in your own small world.

Life – you have to live with belief, not with knowledge.

When you live with belief, your life becomes bigger. You become a bigger person.

If you are waiting for the tangible proof of resurrection, you will never get it. Don't even wait. How long are you gonna live in a limbo?

You can accept the resurrection only through your belief.

Then you will see that our world is full of resurrection.

Every morning, you wake up, you see that the new day is the resurrection.

Whenever you get defeated, you can overcome your failure and rise again. That is the resurrection.

Even in your hopeless situation, you don't give up. You fight. You pursue what is ahead.

That is the resurrection.

It is a little long passage but I can see Paul's thinking about the resurrection quite well.

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. Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:10-14)

That is the attitude of a person who believes in the resurrection.

Don't let your thinking deteriorate. Be strong. Practice your belief. Think about the resurrection. Think about it all the time.

Don't think about death; think about life.

Steve Jobs said,

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.

Let me tell you a better way.

Think about that you will be alive every day. Your day will be brightened up.

The post Think About Being Alive Every Day appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Luke 5:1-11

Life is about more than fish.

Focus on God, not the fish. God will provide all that you need and unlock what you really want.

Do you know what it is that you WANT?

What if what you THINK you want is not REALLY what you want?

We often confuse what we WANT with what we NEED. What we THINK we want is often really what we NEED.

Because it's hard to get what we need, we think that's what we want.

It's very hard to make money. Especially if you don't have much to begin with.

Young people are having a hard time getting a job. It's getting harder and harder to keep a job.

So yes, it takes a lot of work to get what we need.

But when you get what you need, you're not satisfied. Getting what you NEED can never satisfy.

Money, love, acceptance- these are things we need. Even pleasure and leisure – we need these things. Human beings are not animals meant to only work.

But the things that we need cannot satisfy.

We need something, so we get it, but then we're not satisfied.

You need MORE than that. Only getting what you WANT can satisfy.

Simon was a fisherman. He needed fish. That was his livelihood.

The fact that he owned a boat meant that he had a fishing business. It was a hard business.

That very night, he fished all night but caught nothing. Catching fish is what he thought he wanted.

But Jesus came and told him to put his net out into deep water. He had fished all night and caught nothing, yet Jesus was telling him to go again.

Simon was probably skeptical, but he listened to Jesus.

The result was pretty crazy:

When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to burst. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. (Luke 5:6,7)

It was the biggest catch of his life! He had more fish than he needed.

But instead of being so happy, we see an interesting response.

But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus's knees, saying, Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man! (Luke 5:8)

I am a sinful man!

Simon received everything he thought he had wanted. But in that moment, he saw something clearly.

He saw that his focus had been on fish, not God.

Simon was a member of the synagogue. Every Sabbath he would have heard the Word being taught.

For Jews, from the time they were born, they were imprinted with this commandment:

Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)

The most important commandment was to love God. It was to seep into their whole existence.

It didn't come out of nowhere.

It was forged from their experience in the wilderness.

In the wilderness, there was nothing. No food, no water.

But there, they experienced God's presence in a powerful way. God provided everything they needed.

God sent manna from heaven. God sent quails for meat. God made water flow from the rock.

In the wilderness, they learned to love God and trust God completely.

God created human beings to live in relationship with him. God blessed Adam and Eve with everything in the Garden of Eden.

We were to enjoy all this abundance in relationship with God.

But sin began when they turned their focus away from God. When they lost trust in God. When they hid and turned away from God.

Sin begins when we turn our orientation and focus to the things we NEED and AWAY from GOD.

When we become preoccupied with what we need, we turn away from God. The worries and anxieties of what we need take over our thoughts.

Sin is separation from God.

When we put what we NEED at the centre, we separate ourselves from God.

And in focusing on what we NEED, we lose touch with what we WANT.

In the presence of Jesus, Simon saw how much he had turned away from loving God at centre.

God knows what we need. He knows that we need money, food, clothing. Love, acceptance, and validation.

God doesn't want us to be blind to our needs.

We need to work hard. We need to use our brains that God gave us.

But they cannot be our center.

Our love, loyalty and devotion need to be to God alone. Our complete trust must be in God.

Jesus said:

Therefore do not worry, saying, What will we eat?' or What will we drink?' or What will we wear?' For it is the gentiles who seek all these things, and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:31-33)

Trust God. Love God first and with all your heart. And God will provide all that you need.

That's what Peter experienced in the presence of Jesus. He saw how far he had gone away from God in his focus on fish.

After Simon's confession, this is what Jesus said to him:

Then Jesus said to Simon, Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people. (Luke 5:10)

Jesus provided everything Simon needed. But now he unlocked what Simon really WANTED.

What Simon wanted was not fish. Fish was merely what he needed to live.

What he WANTED was a bigger purpose. A life that was drawn toward the divine will. A calling that connected him a bigger life.

Jesus unlocked this deeper desire that had been HIDDEN.

A deeper desire hidden and buried underneath his pursuit of fish.

My friends, what do you really WANT?

Have you been able to ask yourself that? Or have you been so focused on what you NEED?

God wants to give you an abundant life. That is what Jesus came to give.

God's desire is for you to live for what you WANT. When you're connected with God, you get in touch with what you WANT.

God will take care of your needs. God will free you from your fear and preoccupation so you can live for what you WANT.

Living for what you want – that is a life of joy, purpose, significance. That is a life worth living for!

Simon Peter found that after meeting Jesus.

Finding what he wanted was worth more than all the fish he could ask for. That's why he left everything – all of his fish – and followed Jesus.

My friends, we need fish to live.

I love fish. I've loved fish and chips since the time I was a child. I love mackerel ( ) and . I love sushi – sushi boats with sashimi and rolls, yum! I love salmon chirashi. I love McDonald's Filet-O-Fish.

I love fish. But life is more than fish.

Fish can satisfy my taste buds and appetite. But fish can never satisfy my soul.

Only Jesus can.

Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:35)

We're living in a very unsettling time. Everyday there's something new.

Most recently, we've had a scare with the tariffs. Something about this has shaken Canadians to the core.

Donald Trump threatened to take away our fish. I thought we were friends!

How are you doing me like that? You tryna take my fish? You may take all of my fish, but I gonna take some of yo fish. Keep yo hands off my fish! We ain't friends no more.

We don't know what's in store.

But more than ever, fix your eyes firmly on God.

Stand more rooted on the solid rock of Jesus. Love God with all your heart and put all your trust in him.

God will provide all the fish you need. God will reveal what you really want. God will lead you to green and abundant pastures.

The post More Than Fish appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script

Love never ends. (1 Corinthians 13:8)

This phrase catches my eyes.

There is so much in this passage. I can talk about so many things about love.

But this phrase stands out for me.

Love Never Ends.

Love is eternal. The eternal quality is intrinsic in Love.

But that's not what we experience about love in this world.

People fall in love and easily fall out of love. Today they go crazy about each other and tomorrow they go separate ways.

We don't experience the eternal quality of love.

That's what celebrities always experience. People are crazy about them and they say how much they love them. But once their popularity goes down, nobody really cares for them.

Loving your neighbours is what we have learned from our Lord Jesus.

We try to practice that and we also expect that from our neighbours. But all of a sudden, they tell us that we have to pay 25% tariff.

We feel betrayed. Once we were neighbours and now we feel like we are strangers.

That is the kind of love we experience in this world.

Today we are a friend, but tomorrow, we become a stranger.

We don't experience the long lasting quality of love in this world. So, people don't trust love. They sing What's love got to do with it.

Love we experience is a very momentary thing.

It doesn't give us security and confidence. It is just feeling you feel for the moment.

And it doesn't last too long.

That's what feeling is. Feeling is never eternal.

To many people, love is just feeling. It comes and goes. One day you feel very close. The next day you feel indifferent.

But Paul boldly proclaims that love never ends.

Everything else comes to an end. But love never ends.

He said,

But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. (1 Corinthians 13:8)

But love we experience is a very small fraction of the true love that is eternal. We feel that love but only momentarily.

Then what is love that never ends? Where does it come from?

This was what John said.

God is love. (1 John 4:16)

God is love and love is God. That's where love comes from.

We don't feel God but we feel love that is God. We don't experience God but we experience love that is God.

Love is God's essential attribute. God is made up of love.

So that's why John didn't say that God HAS love. He simply said God IS love.

Love we experience is God's love.

But only the fraction of it. Only momentarily. Even that momentary experience is heavenly bliss.

Love is God's gift for us, for the humanity. This love created the world.

When God's love is materialized, that is creation. The birth of a child is God's gift of love for the parents.

The abundance we enjoy in our lives is God's gift of love. The breath that makes us alive is God's gift of love.

This love sent his son to the world to save it.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Because we have love that never ends, we have no fear.

We have dark time coming ahead of us. We are not clear how this relationship with US will affect us.

But because we have love that never ends, we don't fear. It is time to pray for Canada.

We should be united, not divided.

Because we have love, we don't fear judgment. Because we have love, we are not afraid of death.

So, John said,

Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgement, because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:17-19)

The last sentence.

We love because he first loved us.

We don't have love on our own.

The love we have is imperfect. The love we have is not complete.

We love because God first loved us. We love because God gave us love.

Love is God's greatest gift to us.

Faith is also God's gift. Hope is also God's gift. But love is the greatest gift.

And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13)

When you love, you participate in the most profound and marvellous realm, sphere of God's world. You enter into the most holy and sacred space.

When you love, you enter into the eternity.

When you love, you will be able to see the great mystery of God.

Your eyes will be open and you will be able to see the true purpose and meaning of life.

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. (1 Corinthians 13:12)

My friends, let us enjoy God's greatest gift to us.

This gift will enliven our lives. This gift of love will make our lives abundant and meaningful.

If there is no love, everything will become useless and everything will end in nothing. Our life will end in nothing.

That was what Paul eloquently articulated in the beginning.

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)

What good is it if you are the most powerful person in the world? What good is it if you have everything people desire?

If you have no love, it means nothing.

When everything becomes nothing, the only thing that remains is love.

Love never ends.

And nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God. That was what Paul experienced.

And that is the good news. Nothing can separate us from the love of God that never ends.

Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39)

God loves you! He loves you eternally!

Love others as God has loved you. That is how to live eternal life.

The post Love Never Ends appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage

1 Corinthians 12:12-31a

Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script

When St. Paul met Christ, he became a new person.

So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; look, new things have come into being! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Yes, when we meet Christ, we become a new person.

But St. Paul was not only talking about himself as a person. He was thinking beyond just himself.

He was thinking about our existence as people.

In Christ, our whole existence becomes new. How we live together is new.

Today's passage that we read is a concrete metaphor for the new kind of community that is created in Christ.

He describes it as a new humanity:

For he (Christ) 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 that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two (Ephesians 2:15-16)

A new community, a new humanity – that is what we become in Christ.

In this new community, everyone belongs.

You are valued for who you are. You are treated with respect and honour. You are valued for the unique contributions you bring.

Differences are valued and appreciated and embraced.

This community belongs to everyone, and everyone belongs to it.

It wasn't always this way for St. Paul.

Before he met Christ, belonging meant something different.

Belonging was an exclusive possession. Belonging was conditional on meeting the right requirements.

Before he met Christ, he belonged to the chosen people of the Jews. This is how he described his belonging as a Jew:

Circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. (Philippians 3:5-6)

He belonged to the exclusive community of God's chosen people because he met the requirements.

In the old way of thinking, there is a high barrier to entry for belonging. It is an exclusive club. It is a closed belonging.

If you belong, then you're in. If not, then you're out.

If you're on the inside, you get the benefits of belonging. If you're on the outside, you're left out.

Everyone tries so hard to belong, because we need to belong somewhere to survive.

Human beings need to belong.

We need to belong to a company or organization that will provide a living. We need to belong to friend groups that meets our social needs. We need to belong to a family that provides love and support.

But even when you belong, you don't necessarily have it easy.

You have to continue to meet the requirements. If you start slipping on the basic requirements, then your standing becomes more tenuous.

I see this in our kids sports teams.

If you're a good performer, then all is good. You're valued for your personality. He's a funny guy, a great character.

But all of that won't matter if you're not good and producing.

In this kind of community, you belong to survive, not thrive.

There is pressure. There is fear of losing your standing.

In this kind of community, what's valued is what will make that community strong.

It's not about you. It's not about the unique gifts that you can offer. It's whether you offer the right gifts that the group needs.

Uniqueness and diversity of gifts don't matter. It's about having the right gifts. Offer the right gifts, then you belong.

In this kind of community, there is a clear pecking order. Honour and respect are given in that order. There is a hierarchy of value.

In this kind of community, belonging is often defined by who you're against.

Sometimes, belonging means you don't really know what you're for, but you definitely know what you're against.

You prove that you belong by how strongly you're against those who don't belong. The stronger you're against those who don't belong, the more you belong.

For Paul, belonging to the Jews also meant opposing and persecuting the church. More zeal for persecuting them meant he belonged even more.

All of this changed after he met Christ.

After meeting Christ, his understanding of belonging changed.

In Christ, belonging changed from closed belonging to open belonging.

Whereas in the old world, belonging was closed and exclusive, in Christ, belonging is open and inclusive.

All belong. All are sinners. All are forgiven. All are invited into the kingdom of God.

It is not about having the right gifts, it is about discovering your unique gifts. Your unique gifts and personality are what will bless the group.

Honour and respect are not given according to the pecking order. Rather, everyone, especially the weak, are given honour and respect.

No one is considered dispensable.

St. Paul saw this very clearly:

The eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you, nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect, whereas our more respectable members do not need this. (1 Corinthians 12:21-24)

The end result of this kind of community is unity and harmony.

But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. (1 Corinthians 12:12-31a)

This is a very different kind of community than the one we see in the world.

In the old world, exclusive belonging creates competition, rivalry and division. It stirs up jealousy, hatred and animosity.

In the new humanity, no one is left behind. Everyone is cared for.

What Paul is describing in today's passage is the church.

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. (1 Corinthians 12:27)

The church is the body of Christ. The church is the new community, the new humanity.

In this new humanity, we are one body comprised of many members; many members yet one body.

We are unified as a community but only in our diversity, not through uniformity. We are diverse and different, yet unified as one.

Everyone belongs and is welcome. There is enough room at the banqueting table for all that.

God provides. We may have only five loaves and two fish, but God will provide an abundance for all.

That is the nature of the new community in Christ.

The people of Corinth found new life in Christ when Paul came and proclaimed the gospel.

The church began with great joy and enthusiasm. But they were still living in the old world.

The values and ways of the old world kept creeping into this new community.

Paul was teaching them how to live as a new community in Christ.

This is the church today: we live in the old world, but we live together as a new community, a new humanity that's not of the world.

We live as a new community that's set apart from the old world.

People of St. Timothy: you belong to the new humanity!

Do you believe that?

That is your calling, that is our mission.

The church exists for mission. Our mission is to be the new humanity in this world.

To live a new way that's different from the old way. To model a new way of treating one another. A new way of living with one another.

You belong to this new humanity. You are the new creation.

You have something valuable to contribute. Not necessarily by what you do, but by who you are.

(Joy of discovering unique quirks and personalities of congregation)

You don't need to be something other than who you are. There is no one who has nothing valuable to contribute.

If the foot would say, Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body, that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear would say, Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body, that would not make it any less a part of the body. (1 Corinthians 12:15-16)

If you're a foot, an ear, a hand or an eye, it doesn't matter.

Each one of you is needed. Each one of you is a part of the body.

But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many members yet one body. (1 Corinthians 12:18-20)

To be part of the new humanity, offer yourself for this community.

Don't hide yourself.

You will bless this community, and you will be blessed as you discover gifts you didn't know about.

There are many demands these days that make commitment such a challenge. This world pulls us in so many different directions.

It is so difficult to exist as a new community. The church is going against the ethos of the world.

But the world needs the new community.

But to be the new humanity in this world, we must continually be shaped into it. We must be shaped as Christ's body.

That requires consistency.

Consistency in worship. Consistency in being rooted in the Word and teachings of the Word. Consistency in practicing life as a new community.

In our consistency, Christ will shape us and form us as a new community.

This is why the Christian journey cannot take place apart from the community. It's a fallacy that you can cultivate faith on your own.

Scripture Passage

Isaiah 62:1-5

Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script

God never forsakes you. God never abandons you. God never deserts you.

But, even though God never forsakes you, sometimes you feel forsaken, abandoned, and deserted.

Even our Lord, Jesus, experienced the feeling of abandonment on the cross. He cried out, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

St. Paul also experienced the feeling of abandonment.

We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world right up to this moment. (1 Corinthians 4:13)

That was what Israelites experienced when they lost their home. They experienced the abandonment when they were exiled.

Korean people experienced this kind of abandonment when they lost their country. Many of your parents experienced that when they lived under Japanese occupation. They felt abandoned.

When you lose everything, you feel forsaken.

That was what Palestinians and also Israelites experienced last 15 months. They lost so much. They lost their loved ones.

Finally there is a cease-fire agreement with a tinge of uncertainty. We need to pray for them.

Also, this is what people in LA experience right now.

They lost everything. They lost their homes. Many people do not have an insurance because the insurance company does not accept it because of frequent fire.

Feeling of abandonment.

(Last Sunday, elder Min told me that her friend lost her house and down the road, her son also lost his house. She gave elder Min money to treat our Wednesday Bible study.)

I am sure people in southern Tibet feel the same way after the earthquake.

Feeling of abandonment is what we experience in life.

Your experiences may not be as dramatic as war, fire, and earthquake, but you experience different kinds of abandonment in your own way.

When life is difficult, we feel lost. We feel that nobody really cares.

The world is getting more and more selfish and self-centred.

Me first has become our philosophy.

We used to say me first is not a good attitude. Now it is our way of living. Very different from Jesus' teaching.

We don't even know how to feel others' suffering and hardships. As long as nothing happens to me, everything else doesn't matter.

When the world becomes selfish and self-centred, what will be the result?

We get the feeling of abandonment. People will feel neglected, forsaken, and abandoned.

We become an invisible man and woman, like the book invisible man by Ralph Ellison.

Ralph Ellison said in the book,

I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me.

That is a big reason for us to go to Sioux Valley every year.

Indigenous people in this country experienced the greatest abandonment.

When their children were taken away against their wish, they felt so abandoned.

Children also felt abandoned when they had to leave their homes and their parents and live in a foreign place.

We just want to tell them that we care. You are not alone.

That was what Gord Downie, the Tragically Hip’s frontman wanted to do. He wanted people to remember them. He wanted to tell them that they are not alone.

That is why we are starting a new project with Cuba.

They were isolated especially because of the US embargo. They were an island isolated from the rest of the world.

They are not an island just physically; they are an island politically, economically, and psychologically.

We want to go and see what is going on there. Because we care.

Also, this year, we want to reach out to Evangel Hall who is doing the work for the homeless people in the city.

We used to be heavily involved in the Evangel Hall mission but since Covid, we have lost touch with them. We want to renew our commitment to their work.

Homeless people all felt abandoned. We used to go out on Boxing Day with sandwiches and went to homeless people on the street.

Feeling of abandonment is probably the worst human emotion.

When you are abandoned, you lose hope, joy, and motivation to live.

When the Israelites were in exile, they lost the desire to sing.

This is well captured in the psalm.

By the rivers of Babylon

there we sat down and there we wept

when we remembered Zion.

On the willows there

we hung up our harps.

For there our captors

asked us for songs,

and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying,

Sing us one of the songs of Zion!'

How could we sing the Lord's song

in a foreign land?

If I forget you, O Jerusalem,

let my right hand wither!

Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth,

if I do not remember you,

if I do not set Jerusalem

above my highest joy. (Psalm 137:1-6)

It captures the feeling of Israelites feeling abandoned in a foreign land.

A famous Korean song, Arirang, captures the Han of Korean people.

Han is a special Korean word which captures complex emotions of grief, anger, resentment, and regret.

Han is what you have when you are abandoned.

The word became a very important word for Korean theologians.

.

If you leave and forsake me, my own,

Ere three miles you go, lame you'll have grown.

It captures grief, anger, resentment, and everything when you feel abandoned. This song captures Han of Koreans.

To Israelites who experienced abandonment, God gave these words.

You shall no more be termed Forsaken,

and your land shall no more be termed Desolate;

but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,

and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you,

and your land shall be married. (Isaiah 62:4)

In the world, you may experience abandonment. You may experience life's tragedies.

You may experience rejection and alienation by the powerful evil system. You may experience hurt and pain by your loved ones, by your family, by your friends.

Sometimes, you may feel like you are a motherless child.

That was what indigenous children in residential schools felt. That was what many black sisters and brother felt in America. That was what many Tibetans felt under Chinese occupation.

There are many old people who live in isolation. They feel useless and unwanted. They feel abandoned.

But my friends, you are not alone. You will never be alone.

God never forsakes you. God never abandons you. God never deserts you.

God will lift you up. God will crown you with honor.

This is what Isaiah said.

You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,

and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. (Isaiah 62:3)

God will wipe your tears. God will take away your shame.

God will restore you. God will bring honor to you.

You are like a precious child to God. Will God ever abandon his precious child? No. He won't.

You are people of God's promise. You are in God's good hand.

When you know this, you will not live any more feeling abandoned by the world.

Even though the world may still treat you in that way, you will be strong.

You know that you are a precious child of God and God honours you. So, you can handle the abandonment of the world.

It's Ok not to be invited to the Inauguration of Trump like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, and Shou Chew.

The post Not Forsaken appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage

1 Peter 2:4-10

Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script

I hope that you are having a great start to 2025.

Before we get too far into the new year, it's important to reflect on important things.

What kind of person do you want to be in 2025?

Let me share a great vision with you today: Be the rock that others stand on.

Isn't that a great thing to aspire to? It's something we can all do.

In 2025, we should strive to be a rock on which others stand.

It brings such a nice image to me. Someone who is solid. Not easily shaken. Someone whom others can stand on.

In Chevrolet truck commercials, they are built like a rock. The most dependable, longest lasting trucks on the road like a rock.

We're not trucks, but we too should be dependable and lasting like a rock. Maybe good trucks, we can rely on.

It's so hard to find people like that, isn't it? Whom can you really rely upon?

But wouldn't it be so good to have people like a rock? People you can rely upon, depend on.

I think the best kind of person we can be is to be a rock for others.

When times are difficult, when things are turbulent, the best thing you can be is a rock that others can stand on. You will be a great blessing to others if you can be that.

Jesus told Peter that he would be the rock.

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18)

Jesus said Peter would be the rock. But at that time, he was not the rock.

When Jesus was captured by the authorities, he ran away. He deserted Jesus. He even denied knowing him.

Peter was the most passionate disciple. He spent three years with Jesus. He loved him. He left everything to follow him.

But at Jesus' most vulnerable moment, he was not the rock he needed.

After Jesus was crucified, Peter was devastated by his flimsiness. He had been exposed for who he was: a coward who lacked courage.

Jesus was gone. Everything he had given up came to nothing. In that moment, it seemed like his failure would haunt him for the rest of his life.

But that didn't happen. Peter did eventually become the rock. What changed?

After Jesus rose from the dead, he appeared to Peter. That encounter was described by John.

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon son of John, do you love me more than these? He said to him, Yes, Lord; you know that I love you. Jesus said to him, Feed my lambs. A second time he said to him, Simon son of John, do you love me? He said to him, Yes, Lord; you know that I love you. Jesus said to him, Tend my sheep. He said to him the third time, Simon son of John, do you love me? Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, Do you love me? And he said to him, Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you. Jesus said to him, Feed my sheep.Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go. (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, Follow me. (John 21:15-19)

Jesus forgave him. He gave him another chance.

Even though he denied Jesus and ran away, he still believed in him. He still chose Peter to carry on what he started.

That changed Peter. It transformed him. He became the rock of the church.

How can you be the rock?

Be someone who forgives and gives others a second chance.

You're not blind to the flaws of others. But you can accept them. You don't define them by their flaws.

You are the rock on which others can stand.

This world is a merciless place. One mistake and the world piles on you. It shuns you. Cancels you. Destroys you.

Can you be the safe rock on which others can stand? When everyone else has condemned them, be the safe harbour that shelters them from the world's judgment?

Peter says in the passage today:

Like living stones let yourselves be built into a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5)

What is a spiritual house?

It is a house of mercy. A house of grace.

A house where people are not judged by their sins but given the chance to become someone new.

A house where people who have been given a second chance gather together.

Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:4-10)

We are God's people. We are those who have received mercy. That is the church.

Peter became the rock of this church. But the rock that Peter stood on was Jesus Christ.

Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight. (1 Peter 2:4)

Rev. Kim spoke last week about living life based on principle. That is how you be the rock.

The greatest principle is love.

Jesus lived his life with the principle of love.

In all that he did, he loved God and he loved people. He healed others. He taught people.

But the greatest love was shown on the cross.

How?

Through forgiveness.

On the cross, Jesus bore the sins of others and forgave them.

Then Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. (Luke 23:34)

On the cross, he forgave them. He forgave us. He gave us a second chance. He still believed in us.

That is the power of the cross. The power to bear the sins of others.

The power to forgive. The power to give a second chance.

When you get hurt and disappointed, that hurt and disappointment can take on a life of their own.

They grow in power. They take control of your thoughts and actions.

Even if you want to be free from those emotions, it is so hard.

The power of the cross releases you from the grip of hurt and disappointment.

Instead of the power of anger or resentment, the cross gives you the power of forgiveness.

Forgiving those who have hurt you, overlooking the sins they've inflicted on you, giving these people a second chance: that is the most difficult thing to do.

It takes enormous power to overcome the desire for vengeance. To overcome the negative energy these emotions give you.

Being able to forgive others, to still believe in them and give them another chance: that is the greatest spiritual superpower. That is what Christ showed on the cross.

Jesus was the true human being. The one who reflected the image of God in all its fullness right on that cross.

The blood of Jesus washes away our sins. But it also washes away the sins of others.

It washes away the effect the sins of others leaves on your heart. It heals you from the damage and imprint they leave.

That is the power of the blood of Jesus.

That is the power that changed Peter. That is how become the rock.

I had an old friend from university days. We went through many things together.

A close and loyal friend but I could see some deep flaws. Especially when drinking. I would be the responsible one.

But it got to point where I couldn’t do it anymore. I felt disrespected. So I cut him off.

This is one of my real regrets. I wish I gave him another chance. It would have helped him. It would have blessed me.

Peter asked Jesus this question:

Then Peter came and said to him, Lord, if my brother or sister sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times? Jesus said to him, Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. (Matthew 18:21-22)

Be a rock who is not shaken by the sins of others. Be a rock who doesn't crumble because you get hurt by others. Be a rock who can forgive and give another chance.

You will change lives by being a rock.

God will give you the power to forgive and give others another chance.

In 2025, ask God to make you a rock.

The post Be The Rock That Others Stand On appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

1 Peter 2:4-10

Happy New Year!

May God's blessings be upon you and your family!

God has been good in 2024. God will be also good in 2025.

Let us trust God. Everything will work out for good.

Even though there may be difficult times, God will give you the strength and the wisdom to deal with difficulties.

Not only that, he will work out everything for good for you.

This year's theme is Be the Rock.

I would like to focus on two things. One: Being a Rock. Second: How to live as a Rock.

In today's passage, Peter said this.

like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:5)

He said, Let yourself be

Being the Rock is about who you are, not about what you do.

You are the Rock. Nothing can shake that away. That's who you are. God made you be the rock.

Your understanding of who you are is the foundation on which you can build your life.

If you think you are the rock, then you will live like the rock. You will have the firm foundation for your life.

If you think you are chaff, then you will be easily scattered.

That was what the Psalmist said.

The whole book of psalms begins with the statement about two kinds of life. Life like the rock that is deeply rooted. And life like the chaff that is easily scattered.

First, life like a rock

They are like treesplanted (rooted) by streams of water,which yield their fruit in its season,and their leaves do not wither.In all that they do, they prosper. (Psalm 1:3)

Life like chaff

(they) are like chaff that the wind drives away. (Psalm 1:4)

If your understanding of who you are is not clear, you cannot have an authentic existence. You cannot be firmly rooted.

See – You can only be who you are. You don't have to pretend to be who you are not.

Not only your identity, but your understanding of your identity is very important. Everything flows from your understanding of who you are.

Don't let others tell you who you are.

You don't need to be so concerned with what they say about you. Do they really know you? No, they don't.

They judge you with their limited knowledge they have about you. And many times, their limited knowledge is filled with their own prejudices.

Jesus did not let others dictate his life.

He was rejected by people and that was Ok with him. Because he knew who he was.

Peter knew about this very well and so he said.

Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight (1 Peter 2:4)

Chosen and precious in God's sight

Rejection was a part of Jesus' life in this world.

When he was born, there was no happy birthday Herod tried to kill him. Unfortunately, so many innocent babies were killed instead. He was rejected by Herod.

During his life time, his life was full of rejections. They even accused Jesus of being demon possessed. The cross was the ultimate rejection of Jesus Christ.

He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. (John 1:11)

So even if you feel rejected, not understood, and abandoned, don't ever doubt yourself.

You are chosen and precious in God's sight.

This is what Peter proclaimed.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people (1 Peter 2:9)

That's who you are.

A chosen race. A royal priesthood. A holy nation. God's own people.

To be honest, Peter himself was not like a rock.

He was flaky and flimsy. He made a commitment that he could not keep. He denied Jesus even three times because he was scared of people's rejection.

But Jesus chose him and told him that he would be the rock.

He used to be Simon. But Jesus gave him a new name, Peter, which means the Rock.

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 16:18, 19)

What a wonderful proclamation about a person.

Peter was not that great yet. He didn't have a solid understanding of who he was or who Jesus was. He didn't even know what he wanted.

Right after Jesus' proclamation about Peter, there is a strange interaction between Jesus and Peter.

From that time on, (after Jesus' proclamation of Peter) Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.' But he turned and said to Peter, Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.' (Matthew 16:21-23)

Can you believe it?

Right after Jesus said that Peter would be the rock on which he would build his church and he would give him the key of authority, Jesus said this.

You are a stumbling-block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things. (Matthew 16:23)

That's life.

There is no hero. There is no one who is so great that he or she is flawless.

You are not that strong. You are not flawless. You are not a superman or a Wonder Woman. You are as flimsy and flaky as Peter was.

When Jesus said to Simon, you will be the rock. What he meant was I WOULD MAKE YOU the rock.

God will make YOU a rock on which God will build a beautiful life.

Don't doubt yourself. No matter what people may say, you are a precious living stone.

So, the first point is about your identity. The second point is about how to live as the Rock.

You will face many difficult challenges in 2025 as you did in 2024.

You may encounter storms in your life. Your circumstances may not be so kind to you.

Don't be so easily influenced by your circumstances.

When things are going well, you feel loved by God. You will be thankful.

But when things are not going as well, you will doubt God’s love. You will be filled with fear. And you will do things that you shouldn't because of fear.

We are going to study that soon in February.

When you look at king Saul, the biggest problem he had was not that he was not smart or capable.

His critical problem was that he let his circumstances absolutely influence him and dictate his decisions.

He tried to deal with his situations with his own wisdom and strength. In the end, he went mad.

Be a man and a woman of principle. You have to have principles if you want to live a good life.

Principles you have are your backbone. That is the rock for you. They are the skeleton of your life.

It's a life philosophy.

Life is not just about doing well in your jobs and making money. Life is not just about enjoying good things in life.

There has to be a life philosophy.

The greatest principle that we hold is Love. Love God, love yourself, and love others. Always remember that.

No matter how hard life may be, how challenging people may be, always remember this: LOVE. That's all you can do.

In all circumstances, trust in God and simply practice your love.

Always go back to that. Trust and Love.

That's how you become the Rock.

The post Be the Rock appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.