“Gospel Community” (July 27, 2014)

“Gospel Community” (Gal 2:20)

- Our Core Values II -

“We Preach Christ Crucified!”

There is one story that I always try to remember whenever I prepare the message. This story is about one church in England. The slogan of this church on the front door was always "We Preach Christ Crucified." But after many years, the church decided to change the sign into "We Preach Christ." They still preached Christ, but not necessarily Christ “Crucified.” They started focusing more on Jesus' moral life, noble character, and his philosophy than on his death and resurrection. Then, many people left the church. After a few years, the church changed its sign once again. It became "We Preach." From that time on, the church started preaching any topics from politics, philosophy, ethics to all kind of social issues. Then more people left the church. And eventually, that church had to close down. This story reminds us of what must we believe and what must we preach to ourselves and to the world. In this respect, today’s Scripture contains the fullness of the gospel in a nutshell: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who lived and gave himself for me.”

“Christ Has Died!” (Prerequisite of Galatians 2:20)

This is the gospel that we must hold fast to forever. Paul says, in 1 Corinthians 1:18, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing; but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Paul knew that the gospel of the cross alone is the power of God. Before he came to preach in Corinth, he was in Athens (cf. Acts 17:16ff). The city of Athens was full of idols. Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, preached the good news about Jesus’ death and resurrection to everyone in the market place as well as in the synagogue. When the people heard of this gospel, some of them laughed at him and others said, “We want to hear more about this” and they left. The Bible says “A few men became followers of Paul and believed” (v.34). The fruit of his ministry in Athens was not that impressive. If I were Paul, I would modify the message for the next time. But Paul did not change his message. He continued to preach the same message, “the message of the cross,” in the next city, Corinth. In 1 Corinthians 2:2 he says, “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” He knew that the people were asking for miraculous signs and human wisdom. He knew the message of the cross would be a stumbling block and sound foolish to them. But he still preached Christ crucified, because Paul knew that this gospel alone is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. Paul himself used to laugh at the message of cross. But in the depths of despair he encountered Jesus who died on the cross to deliver him. Since that time, Paul always preached Christ crucified.

“I Have Been Crucified with Christ!”

Today’s scripture is Paul’s confession of love to Christ. When we experience the deep, deep love of Jesus, then we come to confess like Paul, “I have been crucified with Christ.” It is not a goal to achieve by our efforts. It is a statement of the life we will live when we fall in love with Christ. I want you to pay attention to the tense of this verse. It is the “present perfect.” It is already completed. NLT version translates this verse in this way: “My old self has been crucified with Christ.” When we fall in love with Christ who was crucified for our sin, we become dead to our old self. That’s why in Romans 6:11 Paul says, “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” It is not about trying hard to be dead to self. It is about accepting death to self. St Macarius was a well-known church father in 4^th century. One youth asked him, “What does it mean to be dead to self and to the world?” St Macarius sent him to a cemetery to rebuke and then to praise the dead. Then he asked him what they said to him. The young man replied, “They were silent to both praise and reproach.” Macarius said, “And so you too. Be dead like the dead.” Dead men tell no tales. Dead men do not become angry when insulted, nor puffed up when praised. That’s what it means to be crucified with Christ.

“Christ Lives in Me!”

Some of you may say, “Yes, I want to be holy. I want to be dead to self. But it’s hard to keep up.” Now we have “knowledge” of how we should live, but we don’t have the “power” to achieve it. Paul went through the same process already. He really wanted to live a holy life, but at the same time, his sinful nature made him a slave to sin. So he cried out in despair, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Rom 7:22-24) But this is not the end. We have good news. Jesus promised, “I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you” (John 14:18) He died on the cross, but on the third day he was raised from the dead by the power of God, and as he promised, he did come back to us to dwell within us through the infilling of his Holy Spirit. William Temple used to illustrate this mystery in this way: “It is no good giving me a play like Hamlet or King Lear, and telling me to write a new play just like it. Shakespeare could do it, but I can’t. And it is no good showing me a life like the life of Jesus and telling me to live a life just like it. Jesus could do it, but I can’t. But if the genius of Shakespeare could come and live inside me, I would then be able to write plays like he did. And if the Spirit of Jesus could come and live inside me, I would then be able to live a life like he did.” This is the open secret of how to live as a Christian.

I would like to share my story how the Holy Spirit guides me to live a victorious life. In summer 2010 I went to a short term mission trip to China with the church members. During the trip, there was a time when things became very difficult. The advance group had to transfer several times and skip meal to prepare a special service ahead of time. After the trip, one of the team members shared this experience with other church family members. For some reason, he remembered wrong. He thought I was not the advance team member. So after he shared the story, he said something like this, “Pastor Victor doesn’t know how difficult it was because he was not there.” When I heard this, I was so angry. Immediately, I was tempted to say for myself and cry out, “I was there!” But at that very moment, the Holy Spirit said to me, “Be silent. Be dead.” And then he said to me, “I know you were there.” Strangely enough, my anger subsided. His peace guarded my heart. I truly came to believe if God saw me I was there, that would be enough. I then was able to focus on God rather than what others thought of me. And I was able to be free from how they saw me.

“I Live by Faith!”

Today Paul’s confession is not out of a sense of religious obligation, but it is from sense of freedom and excitement. He shouts with joy, “Yes, I have been crucified with Christ. I no long live, but Christ lives in me, and now I live by faith in him!” The gospel is good news because God deals us according to the finished work of Christ. “By Jesus’ death and resurrection” our old life is gone and a new life burgeons! As I close the message, let me tell you the story of Pastor Tullian Chavijin. In his book, “Jesus + Nothing = Everything” he shares the following story. He says that one time his friend’s daughter, Robin, found herself in a very difficult English literature course that she desperately wanted to get out of. She sat there on her first day and thought, “If I don’t transfer out of this class, I’m going to fail. I can’t do this.” She came home with tears in her eyes and begged her dad to help her get out of the class. So the next day her dad took her down to the school, and they went to the head of the English department. He asked for his daughter’s transfer. Then the dean looked at Robin and said to her, “Robin, I know how you feel. What if I promised you an A no matter what you did in the class? If I gave you an A before you even started, would you be willing to take the class?” Robin was astonished and said, “Well, I think I could do that.” The teacher said, “I’m going to give you an A in the class. You already have an A, so you can go to class.” Later the teacher explained to Robin’s dad how she took away the threat of a bad grade so that Robin could learn English literature. Robin ended up making straight A’s on her own in that class. That’s how God deals with us. Because of Christ’s finished work, we already have an A. The threat of failure, judgment, and condemnation has been removed. We have victory in Jesus forever!

Do you want to live a victorious life? I will tell you an open secret. The secret of a victorious life is to die to self everyday, and to live by faith in Christ who lives in us. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Let us believe this gospel! Let us sing this gospel! Let us live this gospel! Then, our life, our family, and our church will be transformed and prosperous in a wonderful way. Amen.

“Worship Community” (July 20, 2014)

“Worship Community” (John 4:13-26)

- Our Core Values I -

Amma, “the Hugging Saint”

One day about three years ago I read a very interesting article. The title was “A hug from Amma.” Amma is from India, and her nickname is “the hugging saint.” She has been hugging more than 26 million people for 30 years. At this time she appeared Alexandra Palace in the UK. Thousands of people came to see her everyday from all over the world. One visitor said, “The time it takes and money it costs to fly over from Australia is worth it for a hug with Amma." He paid $1,000 for a one-way ticket just to see her.

In today’s Scripture we meet one woman whose soul pants for something. She is a Samaritan woman. If we dramatize this text, the story would be in this way: she had an unquenchable thirst. She made every effort to satisfy her thirst through “husband.” She got married with the man who had money. But, she felt something missing. So, she got married a second time with the man who was famous in town. But, she became thirstier. So, she got married a third time with the man who got actively involved in charity work. But it did not help to quench her thirst. So, she got married a fourth time with the man who had a noble character. But soon she got bored with him. So, she got married a fifth time with the man who was in politics. But she was still thirsty. So now, she got divorced and lived together with another man. Her life was just like drinking seawater. The harder she tried to quench her thirst, the more thirsty she became.

“Why Am I Always Thirsty?”

The problem is that she never knew why she was thirsty all the time. This is our problem today. We hunger, we thirst, we feel empty, but we don’t know why! The Samaritan woman thought, “If I had a husband, if I had a happy family, if I made more friends and personal connections, I would satisfy my thirst.” We often think, “If I could just get this job, I’ll be satisfied. If I could buy this house, then life would be grand.” But, Jesus says to us, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again!” (13) Our thirst is not about money, power and sex. The Bible says it is all about “worship.” It is all about “our relationship with God.” We are created to have fellowship with God. We are created to praise and worship God. In Isaiah 43:21 the Lord says, “The people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.” The reason why we thirst is because our relationship with God is broken. Pascal said, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every person, and it can never be filled by any created thing. It can only be filled by God, made known through Jesus Christ.”

Have you heard “mad cow disease”? We do not know exactly what causes this disease. However, many scientists assume that it might be because we gave a cow animal feed. A cow is created to have grass. But, when the cow ate animal feed, she went wrong. In the same way, we are created to have fellowship with God and worship him only. But, when we try to meet our needs on our own, we become even more thirsty. The Bible says in Jeremiah 2:13, “My people have done two evils: They have turned away from me, the spring of living water. And they have dug their own wells, which are broken wells that cannot hold water” (NCV).

“Is There Any Water That Can Quench My Thirst?”

Now we know the reason why we are thirsty. Now we know our relationship with God is broken. But still, we have another problem. Although we know the cause of thirst, we do not have the power to solve the problem. So, Jesus came to us first. Jesus came to the Samaritan woman first. John 4:4 says, “Now he (Jesus) had to go through Samaria.” But it was not necessary. In Jesus’ time, Jews did not associate with Samaritans. When the Jews wanted to go to Galilee from Judea, they always used a roundabout way instead of passing through Samaria. But the Bible says, “Jesus must go through Samaria.” He had to do it to see this woman. She had no power to come to God. So Jesus came to her. We had no power to come to God. So Jesus came first to our life. Jesus says, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him" (John 7:37-38). Jesus is living water that can permanently quench our thirst.

Earlier this morning I quoted Blaise Pascal. He was a prominent mathematician, physicist, and inventor. At the age of 19 he invented the world’s first mechanical calculator. He achieved both wealth and honor at a young age, but for some reason he felt miserable and empty. He was thirsty. On November 23, 1654 he got a horse carriage accident, but miraculously he was saved. He saw this as a warning directly from God. That night he humbly came to Jesus and encountered him in his room. He kept a record of this experience, and for the rest of his life Pascal carried around it sewn into his coat. It says, "God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, not of the philosophers and scholars...Joy, joy, joy, tears of joy...'This is life eternal that they might know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.' Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ...May I not fall from him forever...I will not forget your word."

“What Must I Do?”                                       

Are you thirsty? What are you thirsty for? The Samaritan woman was thirsty for love and happiness. But now, she pants for God, the fountain of living water! Jesus, the Word of truth, came to her and opened her eyes. At first, she considered Jesus “a Jewish man” (9). But then, she respected him as “a prophet” (19). And in the end she confessed that Jesus is “the Christ,” “Savior” (29). Many people recognize Jesus and say, “Oh, Jesus is my friend and my teacher.” But, that’s not enough! When we believe in Jesus as our personal Savior and Lord, and when we worship him, he will satisfy our thirst. But the act of worship itself does not quench our soul automatically. There is one condition: We must worship him “in spirit and truth.” Message Bible translates this verse in this way: “God is sheer being itself--Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration." This is an amazing mystery. When we worship God with all our hearts, He satisfies our thirst and our needs.

True worship revives our souls. We worship God because it is one of the Ten Commandments. But worship is more than that. We worship God because it is the only way to quench our thirst. Without worship our soul dies. It is not “we” preserve worship, but “worship” preserves our life! God is looking for true worshippers. Those who pray for Sunday worship service on Saturday evening cannot be the same as those who watch television after midnight Saturday. Those who come to church early and prepare their hearts before worship service cannot be the same as those who run into the sanctuary during the service. True worship starts not from Sunday morning, but from Saturday evening. True worship starts not at the church, but at home when we prepare for worship. Are you true worshippers? Do you worship God in spirit and truth?

 

“Worship Community”

From this Sunday I will share my vision for our church: “5 core values of the church,” and the first core value is “worship.” My prayer for our church is to become a true worship community. My vision for our church is that anyone who is thirsty can freely come to this place, drink living water by worshipping God in spirit and truth, and go out to share it with everyone in the community just as the Samaritan woman did. I want to close the message with a story of one sculptor because this story tells us who is Jesus and what must we do to him. Once there was a sculptor who sculpted a statue of our Lord. And many people came from great distances to see it – Christ in all his strength and tenderness. They walked all round the statue, trying to grasp its splendor, looking at it now from this angle, now from that. Yet still its grandeur eluded them. So finally, they asked the sculptor what would be the best angle to appreciate the statue. The sculptor replied, “There’s only one angle from which this statue can be truly seen. You must kneel.” Amen.

"The Game with Minutes" (July 13, 2014)

"The Game with Minutes" (John 10:27)

"Are You a Sheep?"

What it comes to mind when you think "sheep"? Normally, sheep represent innocence and purity. But in reality, sheep are more than that. Kevin Leman wrote the book, titled “The way of the Shepherd.” In his book he describes ten characteristics of sheep. First, Sheep have bad sight. So the shepherd bells the leading group of the sheep for the entire herd. Second, sheep are foolish. They seem to only know how to do one thing well – eat grass. Third, sheep easily fall. Fourth, sheep are easily “cast” – flipped over on their back. Fifth, Sheep are unable to right themselves. They will die of starvation if not turned over by shepherd. Sixth, sheep are selfish and stubborn. Seventh, sheep have no sense of direction. Eighth, sheep go back the way they had come. Ninth, sheep are defenseless and vulnerable. They can only run. Tenth, sheep become silent in the face of death. Based on these ten characteristics, we can conclude that sheep cannot live a day without shepherd. Today Jesus says to us, "I am the Shepherd, and you are my sheep." Yes, Jesus is our Shepherd, and we are his sheep. Today's Scripture clearly tells us that Jesus' sheep have two prominent characteristics.

"My Sheep Hear My Voice" (10:27a)

First of all, Jesus' sheep hear his voice. One day one of my colleges shared his story of a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. During the trip a heavy rain began to fall while he was in the wilderness with his guide. They found a cave and sheltered themselves there, and several other local Bedouin shepherds also came to take refuge in the cave. So now different flocks were all mixed up together. The pastor was curious and even concerned how each shepherd would separate his own sheep from others. However, their shepherds didn't seem to worry about the mix-up at all. After the rain had stopped, suddenly one shepherd got up, went out, and started to sing a song, and amazingly, that shepherd's sheep withdrew from the crowd to follow their shepherd home. Sheep hear their shepherd’s voice. Jesus’ sheep hear his voice. To hear a shepherd’s voice is not a special gift for the chosen group of people. Every single sheep listens to a shepherd’s voice. We hear the voice of our Good Shepherd through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church. Basically, we are able to hear his voice in every way. In most cases God's voice and his will are very loud and clear.

"My Sheep Follow Me" (10:27b)

However, there is one condition in order to hear the shepherd's voice clearly. It is to have an obedient heart. Today Jesus says, "My sheep hear my voice… and they follow me." So, the second characteristic of Jesus' sheep is to follow the shepherd wherever he goes. Some people say that “To hear Jesus’ voice is very difficult.” But actually, "to obey Jesus" is much more difficult than "to hear his voice.” In many cases the reason why it is difficult to hear Jesus' voice is because we are not ready to surrender to him. While Jesus lived among us on earth, he revealed himself and spoke plainly that he is the Christ, the Messiah. But the Jews kept asking him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly!" And Jesus said to them, "If you choose to do God's will, you will find out who I am and whether my teaching comes form God or whether I speak on my own" (cf. John 7:17). Jesus speaks all the time, but he does not reveal himself to those who have the following attitude: “Lord, let me know your will first, and I will decide to obey or not.” Jesus speaks to those who have a humble and obedient heart: “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening." “Obedience” is the key to hear Jesus’ voice.

Jesus said, “I have come that my sheep may have life, and have it to the full” (10:10). But many Christians do not have a rich and satisfying life although they believe in Jesus. Why? It is closely related with obedience. We tend to think that man of God, such as D.L. Moody, would be a spiritual giant from the beginning. No! Actually, Moody was very discouraged and almost lost heart in the early days of his faith journey. He did not have a satisfying life although he tried in many ways: he attended revival tent meetings and prayer meetings, but his heart became too easily cold and dry. He said to himself, “Probably, my heart is like the path. That’s why the seed of the word cannot grow!” But one day he read Romans 10:17. It says, “So faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” From that day he made a resolution to meditate on the word of God before starting the day. Not only did he meditate on the word, but also he started to obey what he heard. He began to experience transformation of life. Moody's Bible still provides inspiration for many Christians. His Bible is filled with underlines and T/P signs. Some people asked, "What does T/P mean?" “T” stands for “Tested,” and “P” stands for “proved.” Every single day Moody did “test” what he heard, and it was “proved” as the truth by putting it into practice. Jesus' sheep hear the shepherd's voice and follow him.

"Practicing the Presence of God"

However, to hear and follow the shepherd does not happen automatically. We need to practice to discern the shepherd’s voice and follow him. In the spring of the year 2009 I had received intensive training. When I was preparing for studying abroad in 2006, two of my mentors recommended me to go to Gordon-Conwell Seminary. I had never heard that school before, but I did trust them. I applied for that school and was accepted. In my third year at seminary, spring 2009, I discovered this school is no longer affiliated with either the Korean Methodists or the United Methodists. If I chose the school, I had to give up the denomination. If I chose the denomination, that means I had to give up my school and transfer to Boston Divinity School. I had to choose either school or denomination. I was in a dilemma. Every person gave me a different advice. I was so confused. Every evening my wife and I had a devotional time together. One evening the Holy Spirit said to both of us the same message while we were meditating on 1 Corinthians 3. He said, “You are my fellow workers. I will take care of you. Don’t be swayed by school or denomination. Just keep going.” So I stopped all transfer procedure and continued to go to the old school. For few weeks nothing happened, and I became more and more anxious. One day while I was praying in the closet, the Holy Spirit said to me, “Go and tell the UMC ordination committee that you went to Korean Methodist Seminary for one semester.” I didn’t quite understand why I had to share that. Anyhow I contacted the chairperson of the committee. Few days later I got an email from the person in charge. He said, “As you know, in principle you are not eligible to pursue the UMC ordination process further because of your school. But in your case the decision was made that all your credits would be approved and the only thing that you need to do is to take some UMC courses at BU.” As a result, I was able to complete my study at Gordon-Conwell, and at the same time, I could continue to pursue my ordination process in the UMC.

“The Game with Minutes”

Our Good Shepherd Jesus Christ speaks to all of us in this room all the time, but we need to practice to discern his voice from others and follow him alone. In this regard, missionary Frank Laubach can be a good example to follow. He went to the Philippines as a missionary. But after 15 years, he became very dissatisfied with his spiritual life. He realized that he had not lived the entire day of every day in minute-by-minute effort to follow the will of God. Then, he resolved to bring God to mind at least once each minute, at least one second out of every sixty. He called this experiment “the Game with Minutes.” He began to talk and listen to Jesus, work and rest with Jesus, eat and sleep with Jesus, twenty-four hours a day. Moment-by-moment he asked the two following questions: “What, Father, do you desire said?” and “What, Father, do you desire done this minute?” The first few weeks nothing seemed to change. But later, he confessed, “The results of this practice grew rich after six months, and glorious after ten years.” In his journal and letters we can find how much he enjoyed intimate fellowship with Jesus. He provides practical suggestions how we may practice hearing and following Jesus in everyday life. You may find the insert sheet, “Practicing the presence of God” in your bulletin. I commend you to read it carefully and put it into practice.

“Is The Lord Your Shepherd?”

In Psalm 23 David says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.” He lived a life of extreme ups and downs. He was driven into the wilderness for many years. While David was in the wilderness, nearly six hundred people came and live with him. They were not sophisticated or well-equipped people. Rather, some of them were in distress or in debt, and others were evil troublemakers (cf. 1 Sam 22:2; 30:22). But the amazing thing is that although David lived with them for a long time, he did not become like them. Instead, they became like David. Later on, they became men of God and best contributors to build up a nation. How can this happen? It is because David spent more time with God than his six hundred men. It is because he was led and shaped by God rather than by men or circumstances.

If you are in a dry valley right now, I pray that you will remember Jesus as your Good Shepherd. He will protect you, take care of you, and guide you. If you are willing to hear his voice and walk with Him through the valley, you will experience transformation of life and enjoy intimate loving fellowship with Jesus. Let us ask ourselves every minute: “What, Father, do you desire said?” “What, Father, do you desire done this minute?” Amen.

“We Are Called” (July 6, 2014)

“We Are Called”

“Thank You”

I have been looking forward to seeing you all, and there are lots of things I want to say. But most of all, I want to say “Thank you” for your love. Thank you for helping me move in. Thank you for cleaning the parsonage ahead of time. Because of your help, Joyce and I could save a lot of time and energy, and we were able to get settled smoothly. Thank you for your cards and gifts. Thank you for stopping by to introduce yourselves. I felt welcomed and loved. Thank you for inviting my family to take part in the parade. It was really honorable experience. Thank you!

Encountering God

I have lived in Houlton about 10 days, but I have met many people so far. One of the questions that I was asked the most was, “Why did you come to the US?” “Why did you come to here Houlton/Hudgdon?” And my answer was “I don’t know. I didn’t make a plan. I was called.” By nature I am a very organized person. I am relieved when I make a plan far ahead. But nowadays, my motto is “Pray More, Plan Less.” Let me tell you my story how I have this motto. I was born in pastors’ family. My grandfather is a pastor. My father is a pastor. So when I was young, I thought that I was a good Christian and had a strong faith. But in reality, I didn’t have any personal relationship with God. I believed in God, but I did not experience “living God” in my daily life. I didn’t have reverence for God. I was a kind of “Just-do-it” person. I did always make a plan and proceed it first, and see later whether it was God’s will or not.

It was in February of the year 2000. I was in the army, and God sent me to East Timor to take responsibility of UN Peace Keeping Forces. East Timor was a lonely island. There was neither the church in barrack, nor mentors. Instead, sexual temptation and debauchery were lurking all around. God gave me an important mission to set up a Christian Club for regular Sunday service in barrack. However, I ran away from the mission like Jonah when God told him to go to Nineveh. Then, I fell seriously ill with an endemic disease, ‘Dengue Fever.’ There was no way to be properly treated because I was isolated in a remote place for special operations. I was suffering from a high fever and red spots all over my body. My condition got seriously worse. On that night I could not eat anything, nor sleep. I became delirious from a high fever. Intuitively, I knew that I was walking through the valley of death. I knelt down on a camp bed and repented my sins before I died, and I prayed in this way: “Lord, if you save my life, I will humbly serve you with all my heart for life.” Then, I was able to fall asleep in peace. I woke up early in the next morning. The fever had left me, and the red spots on my body completely disappeared. God said to me, “But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.” (Mal 4:2) Literally, I went out and leaped like a calf. It was a turning point. I encountered God who really speaks. That changed me to live from a “Just-do-it” life to a “Listen & obey” life.

Terah vs. Abram

In today’s Scripture God calls Abram to leave his country and go to the land of Canaan. But, we can find a very interesting fact here. There was another person who really wanted to go to the land of Canaan. It was Abram’s father, Terah. Genesis 11:31 says, “Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there.” Now we know both Terah and Abram tried to go to Canaan. On the surface, there is no difference. Both of them seem to have the same destination. Both of them seem to pursue the same purpose of life. But, the result was different. In the end, Terah settled in Haran and lived there until he died, but Abraham arrived in Canaan and lived there. We don’t know exactly why Terah wanted to go to Canaan. But we know that it was not from God. For some reason perhaps he liked the land of Canaan. So, he set out for the land, but in the middle of his journey he saw the land of Haran, and he liked it and settled there.

As for Abram, he didn’t make any plan to go to Canaan. But, one day God called him and said, “Leave your country… go to the land I will show you!” He didn’t say, “Go to Canaan.” So, when Abraham set out for the land, he didn’t know where he was going (Heb.11:8). But, when he arrived in the land, it was Canaan, the Promised Land. What is the crucial difference between the life of Terah and the life of Abram? Terah chose to go to Canaan because it seemed best in his own eyes. However, Abram went to Canaan because God said so.

Two Questions

Today the Bible tells us two different kinds of life style. The first group of people is always busy to make their own plans and achieve them, but they feel something missing. But, the second group of people seems to be rather slow, but they bear much fruit as time goes by. Of course, all of us want to belong to the latter. Today’s Scripture tells us how to live a rich and satisfying life that God promised. Terah lived 205 years, and the Bible summarizes his life in one verse: “He took his family, and tried to go to Canaan, but he settled Haran and died there.” That is all. There is nothing else. However, Abram lived 175 years. He lived a shorter life than his father, Terah. But, the Bible tells about Abram not only here in Genesis, but also through the entire Bible. He is still remembered as the father of faith.

I like Pastor Eugene Peterson’s books. Few years ago I wrote his autobiography, titled “Pastor: A Memoir.” In the book he uses metaphor from Herman Melville’s noble, “Moby Dick” to compare two different kinds of life style. In the story all the sailors are laboring fiercely to hunt white whale, Moby Dick. However, there is one man who does nothing. He doesn’t hold an oar; he doesn’t perspire; he doesn’t shout. This man is the harpooner, quiet and poised, waiting. And then this sentence: “To insure the greatest efficiency in the dart, the harpooners of this world must start to their feet out of idleness, and not out of toil.” Before we leave this room today, let us ask ourselves the following two questions: (1) “Am I listening to God?” (2) “Am I obeying what He says?” Lastly, I want to close the message by paraphrasing Eugene Peterson’s quotation into my own words: “To insure the greatest abundance of life, we Christians must live a “listen & obey” life, not a “just-do-it” life.” Amen.