작성일 : 25-10-17 09:31
|
2025년10월12일 주일말씀 English sermon "Peace and Joy In The Lord" Romans 14:13-18
|
|
|
글쓴이 :
최고관리자
 조회 : 2
|
Sermon English Text AKFPC / October 12, 2025 Rev. Yongjin Park
“Peace And Joy in The Lord” (Romans 14:13-18)
May the grace and love of God be upon you who is listening to God’s voice today in this worship.
Nowadays people from South Korea are worrying about United States while we here in US are worrying about Korea. This country has been the standard of nations worldwide as free and balanced society to keep everyone’s life secure and productive, and with inclusion. But situation changed to exclude this kind of values.
We can see every day getting close doors of inclusion to others. This seems to begin extreme division of society, going toward “Trade Protectionism.” Ally seems to have disappeared, and national interest seems to be first. World is going into confusion.
James Mattis, the former US secretary of Defense, said recently that the true superpower of US comes from voluntary support from our great ally nations. That is great power of US to control this complicated world effectively. But it is not sure for leaders of this great country to hear this kind of considerate wisdom.
Some scholars are warning that the current situation very similar to be one of World War I and II struggling with “Protectionism and extreme social division.”
20 years ago, on September 11, 2001, similar situation has happened and the energy of anger toward alien has gone to wars on Iraq and Afghanistan. But now the energy seems to go to insiders not outsiders.
But we believe that the living God will be reigning this nation and this world as well by his great righteous hands. We must pray God continuously for nations and people peaceful and safe. This is our mission as children of God to change this world by prayer and worship.
Let us together Romans 14:14-18,
“As one who is in the Lord Jesus. I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.”
In the early church there were many Christians who repented from pagans and some of them were remaining in previous practice in their life especially, buying meat or food from markets that offered to gods of pagan. Some criticized them due to their unchanged way of life. This made division among believers in church and conflict amplified. Apostle Paul taught them in church of Roman by his letter according to teaching of Jesus Christ.
He said that love and grace are more important than rules and law. Because Jesus Christ died for them and exclusion is not the way of God. Inclusiveness is His way. Once we take care of them, we can have a chance to make them repented. Elimination is not option of children of God. We can choose only the God’s way.
Jesus Christ showed this to us through sacrificing himself on the cross for sinners on the earth. The main message is love and sacrifice. Through this way we can make people repent and world changed.
Verse 20 say,
“Do not destroy the work of God, for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.”
Eyes of our Lord are on salvation of soul. The work of God is as well to deliver all soul by righteous, peace and joy. Other are not matter and it can be waited to resolve through way of God. That is what we follow.
Everywhere there are extreme ideas in history. We must persuade and wait until their mind changed and God will make them restored. This way is winning always because it is way of God pleasing.
By forcing painful methods, we cannot make people change and instead it makes more problems. There is not anything this method good in Bible, Word of God.
In history many dictators mobilized these violent ways to prevent faults or weakness in society. But they have not succeeded but destroyed their society and many lives of people.
Only the way of God has been changing truly people and society to be peaceful and safe.
Verse 15 say,
“If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died.”
The way of Jesus Christ is to sacrifice himself not to sacrifice others. When church stands for the power that oppressed other as in the name of clean gospel, it becomes rotten water. But church supports the weak or the oppressed, it becomes clean water. This is rule of gospel. Even though they are sinners, we can lead them toward God through only love and grace. Hate or elimination is not answer of Bible.
Methodology is answer with direction.
The true power of Gospel is not for gathering how much more people in one place but for gathering how much righteousness, peace, and joy to all place.
A gangster man, Kipoong Lee, in Pyongyong 100 years ago has hit by his fist on a US missionary, Samuel Moffet in a village marketplace when he was delivering sermon of gospel by Korean speaking. However, the missionary answered to him “I forgive you and love you in the name of my master, Jesus Christ. This reaction made the young man to be shocked. Later he has repented and followed whom he hit and has been trained as a paster leading many souls to Lord Jesus Christ. He became the first missionary to Jeju Island in Korea.
Gospel is making people and world by love and grace not by power and number. True change comes from true love and grace. Let us follow what God pleases and make chance people and world by what we can do best. By love and grace! By Word and prayer!
Romans 14:16-17 say
“Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,”
God be with all of you, Amen.
|
|
