“Knowing the Great I AM” (Exodus 3:1-14) - The God We Can Know I -

“Knowing the Great I AM” (Exodus 3:1-14)

- The God We Can Know I -

When God Names Himself

I have two children and the third one is on the way. Joyce and I named our two children Lydia and Abe. And in fact, they also have Korean middle names. At home, we call Lydia “예주” (Ye-Joo) which means “Prepare the way of the Lord” and call Abe “예성” (Ye-Sung) which means “Proclaim the way of the Lord.” Joyce and I have tried to give our children’s names that will be their destinies and their character. We have given them names to grow into and pray for. Now there is a big difference between me and God. When I name my children, I don’t have the power or the authority to make them fit the names. I just give names in hope and prayer that my children will become what their names imply. But God has the right and the power to cause anyone he names to become what the name implies. And when he names himself, that name really expresses who he is and what he intends to do. Today’s scripture is one of the most important texts in the Bible for understanding the meaning of God’s name. In verse 13 Moses asks God, “What is your name?” And God says to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” But what does it really mean? There are at least four implications in God’s divine name, I AM WHO I AM.

God Exists

First, I AM WHO I AM means God exists. Many people affirm God’s existence especially when they see the mystery of the universe and the mystery of human body. They ponder about a supreme being. And they say “I believe in God.” But they live as if God makes no difference in life. God’s existence makes no difference in their lives. In Romans 1:20-21 Apostle Paul says, “For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” God exists. People affirm the existence of a supreme being and are curious about a generic deity. But that is not enough. That belief, that curiosity makes no difference in life.

God Is YHWH (“God of Our Ancestors”; vv. 6, 15)

The second implication in the name I AM WHO I AM is that God is the God of Israel. In Hebrew God’s name has four letters – hwhy  (YHWH) – and it may pronounce something like Yahweh. In the Old Testament the name YHWH occurs 6,828 times. That’s more than three times as often as the simple word for “God.” Pastor John Piper rightly comments as follows: “What this shows is that God aims to be known not as a generic deity, but as a specific Person with a name that carries his unique character and mission.” The Bible is not a story about a generic deity but all about YHWH, the God of Israel. But here Israel doesn’t mean the nation of Israel. The church is God’s Israel today. Galatians 3:29 says, “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (cf. Rom 9:6-8; Gal 6:15-16). Christians are the true Jews and true Israel today. So the God of Israel, the God of Abraham is the God of ours.

At first, in today’s text, Moses was just curious about a burning bush. God then says to him, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” Here God is saying, “I am the one you have heard about!” Yes, Moses has always heard about God from his ancestors, but he had never experienced God. But now he comes face-to-face with the very God of his ancestors. Moses encounters the everlasting God who has no beginning and no end. He encounters the God who made an eternal covenant with Abraham. He encounters the God who blessed Isaac. He encounters the God who wrestled with Jacob all night. Then, Moses’ simple curiosity turns into godly fear and reverence. So he hides his face (v. 6). When we come face-to-face with YHWH, the God of our fathers, we come to have reverence for God, and that godly reverence makes a difference in life.

God Is Present (“My God”; vv. 2, 7-8)

Third, I AM WHO I AM means God is present here and now with us. The heart of the revelation of the burning bush is the present nature of God. Moses was living an ordinary day and doing an ordinary work, tending the sheep. But God was already there and inviting Moses to see and experience God’s presence – a common bush uncommonly on fire. If God could make a bush blaze, he could do the same with a home or a shop or a hospital or a sickroom. God knows the tears you have shed in secret. He hears your cries in agony. In verse 7 the LORD says to Moses, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.” Our God is a personal God. But not only is God concerned about you, but also he is mighty to save you! God continues in verse 8, “So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey…” God is our refuge and strength. He is an ever-present help in times of trouble (Ps 46:1). He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. When you trust in the LORD, you will renew your strength. You will sour on wings like eagles! (Isa 40:29-31a) And you will say, “God, you are my God!” (Ps 63:1; 118:28; Isa 25:1)

Jesus Is God

Last but not least, actually most importantly, I AM WHO I AM means God has drawn near to us in Jesus Christ. In John 8 Jesus claims about himself. He says to the Jews, “Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.” The Jews then say to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and you have seen Abraham?” Jesus says to them, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I AM!” This is another majestic name of Jesus, I AM WHO I AM. God is vast and infinite, but he is also personal and desires to be personally known by us. That is why God came to us in the Person of Jesus. God revealed himself through Jesus Christ. Jesus said I AM the Bread of Life. I AM the Light of the World. I AM the Good Shepherd. I AM the True Vine. I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life. And I AM the Resurrection and the Life. We can know God, touch God, feel God, and talk to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Are You Listening to God?

In today’s scripture God reveals his divine name I AM WHO I AM to Moses. God exists. More than that, he is YHWH, the God of Israel, not a generic deity. He is also a personal God. And he has been fully and perfectly revealed in Jesus Christ. Moses encounters this God and becomes a new person. If we read through the Book of Exodus, we find a crucial difference between Moses and the Israelites. Every time trials come in the wilderness, the people of Israel stumble and fall, but Moses always waits upon the LORD and follows his lead. Why are they so different? It is because Moses spoke face to face with God (Exo 33:11; Num 12:8; Dt 34:10), but the people did not. In fact, God wanted to reveal himself and speak to his people. But the people said to Moses in Exodus 20:19, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” They didn’t want God to speak to them. Many of us in this room like to listen to personal testimonies, but we don’t want God Himself to speak to us. Why are we so terrified or reluctant for God to speak to us? Oswald Chambers in his book My Utmost for His Highest answers to this question. He says it is because we know that when God speaks we must either do what he asks or tell him we will not obey. But if it is simply one of God’s servants speaking to us, we feel obedience is optional, not imperative. We respond by saying, “Well, that’s only your own idea, even though I don’t deny that what you said is probably God’s truth.”

When did the LORD last speak to you face to face? Are you listening to God? Once we finally do hear him, we then will realize how much we were insensitive and stubborn. For the next six Sundays we will explore Jesus’ I AM sayings. My prayer is that as we meditate on the meaning of Jesus’ majestic names, the LORD will open our eyes to know him face-to-face and deepen our love for him and strengthen our faith in him. “Let us know, let us press on to know the LORD; his appearing is as sure as the dawn; he will come to us like the showers, like the spring rains that water the earth” (Hos 6:3, NRSV). Amen.

Ash Wednesday: “True and False Repentance” (Numbers 14:39-45; Luke 3:7-14)

Example of False Repentance

This evening we just read two different scriptures from the Old and New Testaments. You may wonder how they are related to each other. But in fact, these two texts share the same theme, that is “what is true repentance.” The story of the Israelites in Numbers tells us what false repentance is. Let me briefly explain the background of today’s passage. At that time the Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land. The twelve spies just came back and reported what they had seen. And ten of them spread a bad report. After hearing the report, all night the Israelites cried and wept aloud. And they grumbled against God and Moses, and said, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert! We will fall by the sword. And our wives and children will be taken as plunder!” They committed a great sin of unbelief. Then, God said to them, “I will do to you the very things I heard you say.” And he continued, “Tomorrow, turn back and set out to the desert in the direction of the Red Sea again.”

No Mourning over Sin

After this, in today’s scripture the people of Israel repent their sins. But it is false repentance. We find three characteristics of false repentance in today’s story. First of all, false repentance makes no mourning over sin. In verse 39, the people mourn bitterly, not because of their sins, but because of the bad news that they must turn back to the desert again! So, they come to Moses and say, “We have sinned.” They say this to avoid a crisis and to flee from God’s coming wrath. In this case true repentance is to turn back and set out to the wildness as God commanded.

John the Baptist was called to proclaim a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Mark 1:4). There were two kinds of people who came out to him. The first group of people came out to accept any punishment and to confess their sins. The second group of people came out to flee from the wrath to come, without any contrite heart. So John the Baptist said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” True repentance is to mourn over our sins and to come out to God to obey his will.

  

No Death to Self

The second characteristic of false repentance is there is no experience of “dying to self.” The Israelites say, “We have sinned.” They get up early the next morning, heavily armed, and say, “We will go up to the place the Lord promised.” But Moses says to them, “Why are you disobeying the Lord’s command? Do not go up!” But verse 44 says, “Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up toward the high hill country…” This is a typical example of false repentance, repentance without death to self. There are many ways to experience of “dying to self.” In today’s story giving in and turning back to the desert is an experience of dying to self. In some cases we need to go to a particular person and ask for forgiveness. In other cases we need to make monetary compensation. But in many cases, God helps us to experience of dying to self by confessing our sins, especially in front of people. James 5:16 says, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another.”

Let me ask this question, “Which is easier for you to confess your sin to God or to people?” For me, personally, confessing to God was much easier because he was always loving and forgiving and kept the secret. But the thing is that I just kept sinning although I repented over and over. I got frustrated. Later I realized actually I didn’t confess my sins to God, but to myself and forgave myself. That is why God commands us to confess our sins to another person, image of God. True repentance must go through the experience of dying to self. During my seminary years what I learned most was how to repent. When I came to the US in 2006, I had my own plan. It was to earn a doctoral degree as soon as I can and become a pastor of a large church. Therefore, it was very important for me to get good grades. I did my best for excellent grades and was able to earn them. One day the Holy Spirit convicted me. He reminded me that I submitted the reading reports of some of the classes not in good conscience. I had just skimmed through part of the required readings but checked them off as 100% completion. I had good grades. But the Holy Spirit exposed my ambition deep in my heart. Eventually, I officially confessed my wrongdoing to my professors, some other seminarians, and church family members. As a result, the grades of the four classes were reduced. And it became almost unthinkable for me to pursue further study. It was painful experience, but I learned a valuable lesson. I learned that true repentance must go through the experience of dying to self. My ambition has been crucified in me.  

No Fruit of Repentance

Lastly, the third characteristic of false repentance is there is no fruit. The people of Israel say, “We have sinned.” But they don’t obey God’s will but they insist on their own way. They go up to the hill to fight. And the result, the fruit is verse 45. It says, “Then the Amelekites and Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and attacked them and beat them down all the way to Hormah.” Hormah means destruction. The fruit of their repentance was destruction, death. Why? It is because they repented on their own way, not according to the will of God. Romans 8:6 says, “The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.” When we repent by the Spirit, inwardly we have the fruit of life and peace in our heart and mind. And outwardly, we experience a change of our character and conduct. The fruit of repentance is very practical. True repentance bears fruits worthy of repentance. According to John the Baptist, it is to share our coats and food with the poor. It is to always keep our conscience and live before God. It is not to misuse power and privilege for our own ends. True repentance bears the fruit of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Conclusion

Lent begins today. Every year God invites us to this special season of repentance. Why do we need repentance? Because true repentance draws us close to God and makes us whole. In 2 Corinthians 7:10 Apostle Paul says, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” So I invite all of you to ponder the following three questions and answer to them throughout Lent:

Am I truly mourning over my sins?

Do I repent on my own way, or according to the will of God?

How am I bearing the fruit of repentance in my life?

I pray that as we meditate on today’s scriptures and message, the Holy Spirit may convict us and lead us to true repentance, so that we may bear the fruit of repentance and enjoy full life that God promised us. Amen.

Family Worship Guide (February 15, 2015)

Opening Prayer (Unison)

Hope of the poor, friend of the persecuted, advocate of the suffering, O God, we praise you, for you have been our help. Turn our tears to laughter and give us what we need to live. May all people receive your blessing, through Jesus Christ who died, and rose again, and in whom we find life. Amen.

Hymn                       “Jesus Loves Me”                    #191

1. Jesus loves me! This I know,
For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to Him belong;
They are weak, but He is strong.

Refrain:
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.

2. Jesus loves me! This I know,
As He loved so long ago,
Taking children on His knee,
Saying, “Let them come to Me.”

3. Jesus loves me still today,
Walking with me on my way,
Wanting as a friend to give
Light and love to all who live.

Scripture                     John 5:1-9a

[1] After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

[2] Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades.

[3] In these lay a multitude of invalids--blind, lame, and paralyzed. [4] (none)

[5] One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.

[6] When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be healed?"

[7] The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me."

[8] Jesus said to him, "Get up, take up your bed, and walk."

[9] And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.

Sermon*                                                Pastor Victor

(*Please find the file attached or on our church facebook page)    

Prayer

Lord Jesus, you are the Healer. Come and lay your hands on us. Lord, we confess our sins. We stop sinning and are turning back from our wrong doings. Lord, we want to be healed. Speak to us, “I am willing, be clean.” In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth set us free from the illness of the mind, depression, and despair. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, cleanse us from our physical disease, incurable disease, and chronic disease! Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous sings and wonders through the name of Jesus Christ. We give glory to you. We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus, Amen.

Hymn                       “Victory in Jesus”                   #370

1. I heard an old, old story,
How a Savior came from glory,
How He gave His life on Calvary
To save a wretch like me;
I heard about His groaning,
Of His precious blood's atoning,
Then I repented of my sins
And won the victory. 

Chorus
O victory in Jesus,
My Savior, forever.
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him,
He plunged me to victory,
Beneath the cleansing flood. 

2. I heard about His healing,
Of His cleansing pow'r revealing.
How He made the lame to walk again
And caused the blind to see;
And then I cried, "Dear Jesus,
Come and heal my broken spirit,"
And somehow Jesus came and bro't
To me the victory. 

3. I heard about a mansion
He has built for me in glory.
And I heard about the streets of gold
Beyond the crystal sea;
About the angels singing,
And the old redemption story,
And some sweet day I'll sing up there
The song of victory.

Lord’s Prayer

“Do You Want to Get Well?” (John 5:1-9a)

“My Life Will Never Change!”

One day about two years ago a mother and her son stopped by at the church office. They were looking for some financial help. I had never met them before, but I could find their names on pastor’s discretionary fund account book. They seemed to visit the church several times before. While I was having a conversation with them, I was able to see that they were caught in a vicious circle. I really wanted to help them out not one-time financial support, but to break out of that vicious circle. So I strongly exhorted them to come to church and believe in Jesus. But they said, “I have never been to church more than 20 years. I am unholy. If I go to your church, the church will be falling apart.” I said, “No, we are all broken people, but Jesus is able to help you to break the vicious circle.” But they persisted, “No, my life will never change.” And they walked away.

Why This Particular Man? 

I was sad that they firmly believed their lives would never change. But in fact, consciously or unconsciously many of us in this room also believe that a particular area of our lives will never change. Some of us say, “I have been praying for years, but God does not hear my prayer.” Some say, “Many miraculous signs were done in the Bible, but they are just pie in the sky. God never performs his signs in my life.” And we become frustrated and fall into despair. Eventually, we give up and say, “That’s the way it goes.” In today’s scripture we meet one person who has the same attitude as ours. He has been sick for 38 years. Normally, when the Bible specifies the number, there is a reason for that. “38 years” is not a short time. If somebody is 38 years old, he or she is older than Jesus’ age. The invalid might spend most of his life at the pool of Bethesda, or he might have lived as an invalid for life there. At that time a great number of disabled people were lying on the porches. But for some reason Jesus directly approached to this particular invalid. Have you ever thought why Jesus visited this man rather than the others? Jesus came to this invalid not because his faith was great, but because he was the most marginalized person even among the sick. The disabled people of Bethesda thought this man would have no chance to be healed. He was an extreme example. In other words, Today’s scripture tells us, “If Jesus came to even this man, he would come to you as well. If this invalid was healed, you could be healed as well.” Jesus is able to heal us today! He is able to change our lives today!

“Do You Want to Get Well?”

Do you remember the very first word that Jesus said to the invalid? Jesus said to him, “Do you want to get well?” It sounds strange because this is the very reason why the invalid came to Bethesda and has been waiting for 38 years. Then why did Jesus ask him, “Do you want to get well?” We can find an answer in verse 7. The invalid answered, "Sir, I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” His most serious disease was not a “physical illness,” but it was an “illness of the mind.” Jesus was able to see through his heart and wanted to heal his illness of the mind first.

Do You Want to Get Well “Now”?

First of all, the invalid had the illness of “despair.” At first, this man came to Bethesda with hope. He was eager to be healed. He got up early in the morning and kept watching a pool. However, little by little he began to get used to his life at Bethesda. He began to get up late. For him, yesterday, today, and tomorrow became the selfsame day. For 38 years, he had lived in Bethesda, the healing place, but ironically, he had never experienced healing there. He got used to a dull life. He got used to maintaining the status quo. He got used to making excuses. He said, “I am not healed because no one helps me.” He firmly believed, “There is no possibility to be healed.” “I will never be healed.” In fact, he already gave up being healed. He already accepted this powerless life as his fate. I have been to Thailand for a year as an exchange student. Once I had a chance to ride an elephant, and I was amazed how this big elephant was so submissive to his trainer. And after that, I heard how to train an elephant. It was very simple and easy. First, a trainer just ties an elephant to a stake. At first, the elephant tries desperately hard to escape. But later on, the elephant gives up and just stands beside the stake. Then the trainer unties the rope. The amazing thing is that the elephant never tries to run away any more although he is untied.

The invalid became the exactly the same as the tame elephant. Now his heart is filled with despair and desperation. There is no hope. For him, it is impossible to be healed based on his 38 years of experience. However, for Jesus, this is the day that this invalid must be healed. This is the day that he must get up and walk. So Jesus asked him, “Do you want to get well now?” And this morning Jesus is also asking you the same question, “Do you really want to get well now?” “Do you believe that I am able to heal you now?” Many of us grew up and have lived in church. We got used to living here. We feel comfortable. We feel at home. But, have you experienced healing through Jesus Christ in this church, Bethesda, the healing place? Jesus is asking us, “Do you want to be healed now?”

Do You Want to Get Well “through Me”?

Second, the invalid had the illness of “misbelief.” He put his hope in a myth, not the word of God, not the promise of God. Both Old and New Testaments do not have the original texts. Instead, they have lots of manuscripts written by hands. The latter half of verse 3 and verse 4 are not found in the earliest and reliable manuscripts, but they are found only in later and less important manuscripts. Except KJV, most of English translations do not have them. Verse 4 says, “From time to time an angel of the Lord would come down and stir up the waters. The first one into the pool after each such disturbance would be cured of whatever disease he had.” This myth does not match the character of God. The Kingdom of God is not claimed on a “first come, first served” basis. Besides, the Bible does not tell us when and who were healed in the pool. In other words, it is an “unfounded myth.” But, this man just wanted to be healed by any means. It was not important for him to be healed “by whom.” Either by myth or by Jesus there was no difference to him. The purpose of his life was to get well physically. But now Jesus comes to him and says, “Do you want to get well through me?” Jesus wanted to heal this man’s illness of misbelief. Healing a broken relationship with Jesus is more important than anything else. 

Apostle Paul had an incurable disease. He had a chronic disease. He described it as “a thorn in his flesh,” “a messenger of Satan.” It was such a shame for him. So three times he pleaded with Jesus, “Lord, take it away from me!” What do you think? Do you think Paul was healed or not? He was completely healed. Jesus said to him, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9). From that moment, his illness, his weakness was not a shame any more. It became his proud boast. It was not a thorn in his flesh any more. It became a divine channel of God’s power. So Paul boasts all the more about his weakness and says, “When I am weak, I am strong.” The illness of Paul’s mind was completely healed.

To be honest, I had had an illness of the mind for a long time. My mother made a vow to give me to the Lord for life even before I was born, and I myself also made a vow to be his servant when I was thirteen years old. I have many weaknesses, and particularly two of them hindered me from becoming a pastor. The first one was about “speech.” I’ve never been good with words. My family used to have family devotional time every evening, and each of the members took turns to share our thoughts or testimonies based on the Scripture of the day. Every day I became nervous, and I was poor at speaking. I was very afraid of public speaking. The second one was about “relationship.” I was not social enough. I always preferred to be alone, and it was always hard for me to mingle with others, especially with new people. Those were the great obstacles of my call to ministry. More than hundred times I prayed to take away those weaknesses. When I was a senior at college, I strongly sensed God’s calling to ministry. But I was still hesitant. And God asked one question, “Do you love me?” I said, “Yes.” He said, “Feed my lambs.” He did not take away my weaknesses. I am still poor at speaking. It is not just a language problem. I am not good at speaking Korean as well. I am still socially inapt. But, he healed the illness of my mind. For a long time, I was disappointed with God. I thought I was forsaken by God. But now, I am 100 percent confident that I am beloved child of God and that it is God who called me to ministry and equips me for his work. God healed the illness of my misbelief.

“Get Up, Take Your Mat, and Walk.”

What is your incurable disease? What is your chronic disease? It might be either a physical disease or an illness of the mind, or both. Jesus says to each of us in this room, “Do you want to get well now?” “Do you want to get well through me?” The word of God is always confirmed by the signs, by the power of God. Mark 16:20 says, “The Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.” Our weakness, disease, and illness are not curse. They exist to reveal God’s glory. When our physical disease is healed, when our illness of the mind is healed, that gives glory to God and glory to his church. So without ceasing let us cry out to God fervently, “Lord, I want to be healed!” Jesus says to each of us this morning, “Get up, take your mat, and walk.” Amen. 

“Born Again” (John 3:1-8)

Conversion Stories

Conversion stories always inspire us. One of my favorite conversion stories is Charles Spurgeon’s conversion. His nickname was “Prince of Preachers.” His preaching and ministry still impacts the world today. But until his conversion, for years he remained under deep conviction of sin. One Sunday morning in January 1850 because of a snow storm he was not able to go to his home church. Instead, he had to go to a Primitive Methodist church near his home. That morning the minister did not come. He was snowed up. But one lay speaker went up into the pulpit to preach. The text was Isaiah 45:22, “Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.” At the end of the sermon the preacher looked at Spurgeon and said, “Young man, you look very miserable.” And he continued, “and you always will be miserable—miserable in life, and miserable in death—if you don't obey my text; but if you obey now, this moment, you will be saved.” Then, lifting up his hands, he shouted, “Young man, look to Jesus Christ. Look! Look! Look! You have nothing to do but to look and live.” Spurgeon describes his conversion as follows: “‘Look!’ What a charming word it seemed to me! Oh! I looked until I could almost have looked my eyes away. There and then the cloud was gone, the darkness had rolled away, and that moment I saw the sun; and I could have risen that instant, and sung with the most enthusiastic of them, of the precious blood of Christ, and the simple faith which looks alone to HIM.” What a beautiful and powerful conversion story it is!

In today’s text we find another wonderful conversion story. The story of Nicodemus’ conversion. Outwardly, Nicodemus was a privileged Pharisee, a respected ruler of the Jews, and a knowledgeable Bible teacher. But inwardly, he was spiritually bankrupt. He always studied and taught about God. But ironically, he never experienced God. He followed all kinds of religious rules and duties faithfully for life, but there was no joy, no power and no life in his religious life. The harder he tried, the more frustrated he became. But then, he saw Jesus. He was different. Jesus had something that he did not have. One night Nicodemus came to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, how can I be saved?” This is the most important question in life. Today Jesus shows Nicodemus and us the scripture way of salvation.

Know Thyself!

As soon as Nicodemus comes to Jesus, Jesus gets right to the point. He says, “I tell you the truth, unless a person is born again, it’s impossible to see the kingdom of God!” Nicodemus thought that if he stopped doing one or two bad things, and took up two or three good others, then he became a good Christian. We think that to be a Christian is just to be a little bit better than we are now. But Jesus is saying, “No! You are incapable. Your nature is wrong!” (cf. Rom 8:7-8) John Calvin rightly commented, “By the word ‘born again’ Jesus means not the amendment of a part but the renewal of the whole nature. Hence it follows that there is nothing in us that is not defective.” That is why we need to be born again. Our nature is opposed to the truth of God, and therefore we need entirely new one. The only cure, the only way to be saved is to be born again.

Nicodemus was honest. He didn’t pretend everything ok. He cried out, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Help me!” Other Pharisees must have felt exactly the same as Nicodemus did. They knew something was wrong. But they pretended everything ok. So Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Luke 5:31-32). Genesis 1:2 describes the state of the earth before creation. But symbolically it also describes our state of mind before the Word comes. It says, “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep…” Our hearts and minds were formless, barren, empty, and we were darkness! But when the Word came, “Let there be light!” our life became orderly and meaningful, and we became light! So the very first step to be a born-again Christian is to admit our spiritual state. We are broken. We are blind. We are sick. We are sinful. We are helpless. We are powerless. We are hopeless. We are darkness! We must cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. I am a sinner!” This should be our prayer.

Come to the Light!

Nicodemus exactly knew his own desperate spiritual state. Not only did he know himself, but also he boldly came to the light. This is the second step to be born again. Nicodemus did not back down. He came to the light. He came to Jesus! And Jesus exactly knew what Nicodemus needed most and said directly, “You must be born again.” But Nicodemus did not understand what Jesus said. So he asked, “What does it mean by that?” So Jesus expounded further and said, “You must be born of water and the Spirit.” In the Old Testament, water and Spirit are easily joined as the life-giving gifts of God. (cf. Isa 44:3) But, Nicodemus still didn’t get it. So Jesus used the analogy of wind to explain the mysterious regenerating work of God through the Holy Spirit. The wind analogy reminds us of Ezekiel 37, the vision of the valley of dry bones. The Spirit of God leads Ezekiel to the middle of a valley of bones. There are tons of bones, and they are very dry. God asks him, “Can these bones alive?” Ezekiel answers, “O Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” God says, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the Word of the Lord!’” So Ezekiel prophesies. The bones come together, bone to bone. Tendons and flesh appear on them. Skin covers them. And God says to him, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come from the four winds, O breath, O the Spirit of God, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.” Ezekiel prophesies, and the breath enters them. The bones, the slain come to life and stand up on their feet, a vast army. We are dry bones. We are the slain, but when the Spirit of God enters us, we come to life and become a vast army. This is what it means to be born of water and the Spirit.  

The regenerating work of the Holy Spirit is mysterious. We don’t know where the wind comes from or where it is going. But one thing we do know. The wind exists. Some people have dramatic conversion experience. So they have clear testimony, and they remember the exact hour when they were saved. But others have gradual conversion experience. They don’t know the exact hour when they were saved. They have several turning points. Each of us has our own unique conversion story. But we must have one thing in common. We must come to Jesus and believe in him. If you believe with your heart and confess with your mouth, “Jesus is my Lord and Savior,” then you are born of the Spirit (Rom 10:10), because the Bible says, “Except by the Holy Spirit, no one cay say, “Jesus is Lord!” (1Co 12:3).

Remain in the Light!

The third step to be a “born again” Christian is to remain in the light. Falling in love is rather easy. But staying in love requires sacrifice! One rich young man came to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to have eternal life?” And Jesus said, “Go, sell your possessions and give to the poor. Then come, follow me!” When the young man heard this, he went away sad. He came to the light, but he could not stay in the light. He went back to the darkness. Once we come to the light, we have to choose between the two. We have to choose either to keep up or to retreat back into the dark. Nicodemus chooses to keep up. To remain in the light is a joyful experience, but at the same time, it is a painful experience. It is an experience of death to self and to the world. Once Nicodemus used to enjoy privilege, honor, and comforts of life. But when he resolved to remain in the light, he had to give up all those things. When the Pharisees criticized Jesus, Nicodemus had to defend Jesus and said, “Does our law condemn anyone without first hearing him to find out what he is doing?” (John 7:51) And he lost his old friends. Later on, after Jesus was crucified, no one dared ask to take his body away. But Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus boldly revealed their identity and asked for Jesus’ body (19:39). Nicodemus risked his life to remain in the light.

To remain in the light is an experience of “dying to self.” When the prodigal son came back, his father had a big party for him. It was definitely a joyful feast, but at the same time, it was a painful place for the son. He must have felt that he was sitting on pins and needles. Imagine that all his family, relatives, friends and elders of the town came to see him and say to his father, “Oh, let me see. Your prodigal son came back?” For the son, the party was the place to shed tears of repentance. It is the experience of death to self. When we resolve to remain in the light, our sinful nature, self-centeredness, vulnerability, weakness, wickedness, and all the darkness are exposed. And we become so embarrassed, and we are tempted to hide and retreat back to the dark. But we must resolve to remain in the light because this is the only way that leads to life.

Life by the Spirit

What does it mean to be born again? In Ezekiel 47 God gives us an answer through the vision of the living water. The water was coming from the temple. At first, it was ankle-deep. God measured off another thousand cubits. It was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand. It was up to the waist. He measured off another thousand, but it was now over his head. The water was the life-giving Spirit. Wherever the water did flow everything became alive. To be born again is to be flooded under water, not just ankle-deep, not just knee-deep, not just waist-deep, but over the head. Now the water is in control. The Spirit of God is in control of us. This is what it means to be born again. This is what it means to be born of water and the Spirit. Are you born again? Apostle Paul says, “I die everyday. I mean it!” (1Co 15:31) This morning I want you to join me in confessing with a sincere heart: “Lord, I die to self everyday. I live by the Spirit everyday. And Lord, lead me in the way everlasting!” Amen. 

“Do This and You Will Live” (Luke 10:25-37)

Autopsy of a Deceased Church

Currently, I am reading a very interesting book called “Autopsy of a Deceased Church” written by Thom Rainer. Thom Rainer is an author and the president of Lifeway Christian Resources. He takes us through the results of fourteen church autopsies. Each of the churches was once alive, but now is dead. The churches are diverse in their denominational backgrounds, in their locations, and in their local and regional demographics. According to his research, as many as 100,000 churches in America are showing signs of decline toward death. The other day I had an Outreach Committee meeting, and in the meeting I asked the following question to each of the members: “If our church was given a “physical exam” today, what do you think the doctor’s diagnosis would be: healthy, slightly sick, very sick, or dying? Why?” Two of them said “slightly sick,” another said, “sick,” and the last person said, “very sick.” If you are asked the same question, what would be your answer? As a pastor, it is painful to hear that the church is sick or dying. In the book Thom says that the problems of the deceased churches were obvious but the solutions were difficult. But we have hope as long as we have the courage to face our reality and move forward in the directions God desires. Particularly today’s scripture offers significant insight into the secret of a vibrant church and fuller life that Jesus promises.

Our Question: “Who Is My Neighbor?” (v. 29)

In today’s passage, the lawyer’s key question is “Who is MY neighbor?” He had good knowledge of the Scripture. When Jesus asked him “What is written in the Law?” he exactly knew the right answer. Immediately, he replied, “Love the Lord your God and Love your neighbor as yourself.” Probably, he would also observe all other religious practices, such as fasting twice a week and giving a tenth of the income. He thought, ‘I love God and I love my neighbor.’ He wanted to show off. He wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “Who is MY neighbor?” In other words, “Teacher, I am doing enough. Who else should I help?” We ask Jesus the same question, “Who is my neighbor?” “Lord, I have my own fish to fry. My church has own fish to fry. We are doing enough. What else should we do?” About two years ago I attended Korean UMC pastor’s Annual Conference. There, I had a chance to hear one pastor’s testimony. She is a great pastor, but, at first, she had a very tough time in her ministry. For a long time, she didn’t know what the problem was. But later, she realized the reason why she had suffered was from a strong “self-centered” faith. Deep in her heart, there was no one other than “My God and I.” It was always “My God and I,” “My God and My family,” and “My God and My church.” But, God opened her eyes to see that the Bible always says, “God and his people,” rather than “My God and I.” She realized that God is not just her God, but the God of all nations, and he loves all his people. When she truly realized this truth, her ministry changed 180 degrees.

Jesus’ Question: “Who Is a Good Neighbor?” (v. 36)

Our question is always “Who is My Neighbor?” But, Jesus’ key question is always “Who is a good neighbor to the person in need?” He is asking each of us, “Are you a good neighbor to those in need?” He is asking our church, “Are you a good neighbor to your needy community?” Once I heard an interesting story about one seminary professor. He teaches a preaching class. One semester he had all his students preach on the same passage; the parable of the Good Samaritan. On purpose he put one man clothed in rags in front of the building. Most of the students just passed by that person, went to class to preach their sermons they had prepared, and went back home. They were too busy with preparing the sermon to help others. They had bigger fish to fry.

Who is a Samaritan?

In the parable, who is a good neighbor to the man in need? A Samaritan. Who are the Samaritans? They are the descendents of northern kingdom of Israel. When the kingdom of northern Israel collapsed, they had to be transported and get married with the Assyrians by force. They lost their pure blood and pure religious traditions. So, from the point of view of the Southern Jewish, the Samaritans were gentiles and heretics. Jews never associated with the Samaritans and looked down on them. The Samaritans were the marginalized. In the parable, each of the characters has his own excuse. Both a priest and a Levite might justify themselves based on God’s law: “If anyone touches a corpse or a grave, that person will be unclean for seven days” (Num 19:16). So they might say, “I don’t want to be unclean before service.” Or they might say, “I don’t want to be involved in it. I am doing enough.” If they have excuses, a Samaritan has more. He was a marginalized person. He was the enemy of the Jews. Although he passed by the Jews attacked by robbers, no one would blame him. But, he had compassion on him. He stopped and helped him at his own risk. I want to draw your attention to what Jesus says in verse 28 and 37: “Go and do the same and you will live.” This word of Jesus is an answer to our question: “Can our church live?” Our church has our own fish to fry. Our church might be a marginalized church in some sense. It might be unprepared financially or spiritually to reach out to the local community, let alone do global missions. But, Jesus says to our church today: “Do this and you will live!” “Do missions, reach out to the community and to the ends of the earth, and your church will live!” We do missions, not because we can afford to do it, but because this is the only way our church will live. In some sense, we are the marginalized: Some of us are students, some are senior citizens, some are unemployed, and we may feel that we’ve got enough problems of ours, so we can’t afford to do missions. But still, Jesus says to us, “Do this and you will live!”

Common Sense vs. Faith

The kingdom of God is not a welfare state, nor a democratic state. Our government says that the qualified marginalized people may receive a tax exemption. But, God says, “No one is to appear before me empty-handed.” (Ex 23:15; 34:20) He tells us to bring him a lamb or goat. If a person cannot afford a lamb, they must bring two doves or two young pigeons. If they cannot afford to bring them, they are to bring a tenth of an ephah of fine flour (Lev 5:6-11). Why does God require sacrifices and offerings even to the poor, to the marginalized? This is not a religious obligation. But, it is God’s invitation to a richer and fuller life. When we live a life for ourselves, we are the one who is responsible for our life. But, when we live a life for God, it is God who will take care of us. There was a widow in Zarephath. She was very poor. She was gathering a few sticks to take home. She made a plan to make the last meal for herself and her son before she died. God did know it. So did Elijah. But the Lord said to her through Elijah, “Go home and first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have, and then make something for yourself and your son.” And by faith she obeyed. Just as the Lord promised thorough Elijah, there was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers. We have a choice. We may choose to say, “I have my own fish to fry.” But also, we may choose to say, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets. Because you say so, I will do it!”

  

Yes, You!

In your personal or family life you may be going through challenging times. For sure we as a church are facing new challenges ahead of us. We’ve lost several pillars of the church. Many of our devoted church members are aging and the younger generations do not replace them. And our community changes rapidly. Yes, it is a time of crisis for the church, but at the same time, it is a time of golden opportunities. I believe it is God’s wake-up call for us. Jesus promised to his disciples, “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it!” (Matt 16:18) God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. His church is the same yesterday, today, and forever. As long as we love the Lord with all our hearts and love our neighbor, help the poor, and reach out to our community, our life and our church will be prosperous and never die. Still you might say, “Who me? Please send someone else to do it” just like Moses. But God says, "Yes, you – unlikely you, unprepared you, inexperienced you, uneducated you, teenage you, senior citizen you, housewife you, college student you, recovering addict you, dysfunctional family you!” He says to each of us today, “Go and do the same and you will live!” Amen.