"Active Waiting" (Acts 1:1-11)

"Active Waiting" (Acts 1:1-11)

A Time of Waiting

Have you experienced a time of waiting on God anxiously? I still remember when I was around seven years old, I became very curious whether God is really alive or not. One day I typed out a short prayer with my father’s typewriter in this way: “God, if you are alive, please let this paper disappear immediately.” Then, I put the paper on the desk, and I waited and waited. But, the paper was not gone. And I was disappointed. I know it is childish, but at that time I was very serious about that.

In today's Scripture, after the disciples met the risen Christ, they expected that the Lord Jesus would restore the kingdom of God right away. They expected that the paradise would come right away. They said, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom of Israel?" But the Lord said to them, "Wait for the gift my Father promised." After he said this, he was taken up into heaven by himself. The disciples stood there, staring into the empty sky. They must have felt left all alone. Then they heard the voice from heaven, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." The disciples had to wait for 3 days for the resurrection of Jesus. They had to wait for another 10 days for the Holy Spirit. Then they had to wait for life for Jesus' second coming. Like the disciples, somehow our life seems a life of waiting in the wilderness. We are anxiously waiting for the day when our Lord will wipe every tear from our eyes. For me personally I can't wait the day when I will not need to be separate from my family but live together forever. Yes! The day will come when we will see our loved ones and worship our Lord with them forever. But in the meantime life must go on. In this regard, we can learn from the disciples' example how we may live a life of "active waiting" here and now. .  

“Vertical” Active Waiting

While the disciples were waiting for the Holy Spirit and Jesus' second coming, basically they did two things. First of all, they prayed all the time. Acts 1:14 says, “They all joined together constantly in prayer.” “Vertically” active waiting means present fully to the moment, in the conviction that we always stand in the presence of God. The disciples' whole life was a life of prayer, especially after they met the risen Christ. They prayed to receive the Holy Spirit. They prayed before making important decisions. They prayed to overcome persecution and suffering. They prayed all the time. All spiritual giants in church history have one thing in common: They spent so much time with God in prayer. For instance, John Wesley spent two hours daily in prayer. He began at four in the morning. One of his close friends wrote about Wesley as follows: “I have seen him come out of his closet with a serenity of face next to shining.” John Fletcher always said, “I would not rise from my seat, without lifting my heart to God.” Martin Luther said: “If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.” Joseph Alleine arose at four o’clock for his business of praying till eight. If he heard other tradesmen working their business before he was up, he would exclaim: “O how this shames me! Does not my Master deserve more than theirs?” Active waiting means to be mindful of the presence of God by spending much time with Him through prayer.

But, not only did Jesus' disciples spend much time to pray but also they did pray “all the time.” How can we pray continually? Years ago the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, Bill Bright, suggested a good example of "praying without ceasing." He compared praying without ceasing to "breathing." When you breathe, you exhale impurities, and inhale pure air and oxygen. In "spiritual breathing,' you exhale sin by confession, and inhale the Holy Spirit's control by faith. It is called "Breath Prayer." Missionary Frank Laubach devoted his entire life to practicing this breath prayer. For life every minute he always asked the following two questions: (1) "What, Father, do you desire said?" and (2) "What, Father, do you desire done this minute?" Moment-by-moment he asked God these two questions and obeyed his guidance. You don't have to follow exactly the same process. You can develop your own questions to cultivate moment-by-moment sensitivity to the presence of God in your lives. You may ask the following questions to search your hearts: "Do I have God's peace at this moment?" "Do I have a clear conscience or ignore the warnings and promptings of the conscience this minute?" “What would Jesus do in this situation?” If we ask those questions seriously, not JUST once but on a moment-by-moment basis, the Holy Spirit will surely guide us into all truth (cf. John 16:13). I believe that prayer, especially constant prayer, is the greatest thing we can do while we live in this world. The disciples knew this and devoted their lives fully to prayer.

“Horizontal” Active Waiting

Secondly, the disciples did actively bear witness to Christ while they were anxiously waiting for their Master's return. "Horizontally," active waiting means present fully to the moment, in the conviction that we are the perfume of Christ. In Acts 1 while they were waiting for the Lord, the disciples devoted themselves to prayer all the time. And along with that constant prayer, they replaced Judas Iscariot and chose a new apostle. There was a clear purpose for that. Acts 1:22 says, “For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.” Yes, we must pray always, but at the same time, we must not let our praying trap us into a state of paralysis. The disciples not only went into their closet to pray, but also they went out to the streets and market places to bear witness to Christ. Of course, they preached the Word. But at the same time, they preached Christ through their good works. They shared their possessions and resources with those in need. They shared bread with their neighbors. They served the community. So they had favor with all the people (2:47a). They were truly the perfume of Christ.

As a part of the UMC ordination process, I had to complete a hospital chaplain training at BayState hospital in Springfield, MA. It was a big challenge for me because it was an interfaith setting. At the hospital, I was not a pastor but an interfaith chaplain. I was not allowed to visit patients and take care of them the way I did at the church. I should follow their rules. There was a time when I had conflict with my supervisor. I could not accept her different point of view. We argued a lot, and the conflicts were getting worse and worse. One day I shared this problem with one of my mentors, he offered helpful advice. He said, “Don't argue any more. Instead, pray for your boss and colleagues with sincere heart. And be the perfume of Christ. Let them smell the scent of Christ, not by your word, but by your good works.” From that day I stopped passing judgment on the boss. Instead, I began to acknowledge her work. I also valued my colleagues' service. At the end of the program all the broken relationships were restored. And during final evaluation session the supervisor and the colleagues said, "Victor, we could smell the aroma of Christ." If we are the disciples of Christ, we must send forth a fragrance of Christ. More practically, we may ask the following questions to ourselves, "Am I truly blooming where I'm planted?" "Do I advance the kingdom values where I am?" "In my current job or place do I advance justice, or love, or compassion, or economic opportunity, or creation care?" Regardless of our status, wherever we are, we can do at least one thing that advances the kingdom of God. This is the pleasing aroma to God. This is active waiting. And remember, for particular individuals or groups, you are the only person who can reach out to them.

Are We There Yet?

So are we there yet? No, we are not there yet. We are still actively waiting for the Day. In the meantime we may still have life problems to solve, we may have disease, we may have to say goodbye to our loved ones. But we have good news. God gives us the mountaintop experience to overcome all these things. He gives us himself, the Holy Spirit, to be with us forever (John 14:16). And for now, that is enough. John Wesley, in his last moment, said, "The best of all is, God is with us." Yes, God is here with us always. We don't know the times or dates, but we do know where we are going. In the meantime let us wait actively for our Master's return by constant prayer and good works. Like Moses, we may die in the wilderness before entering the Promised Land. We may die before receiving all that God has promised (Heb 11:39). But, by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit we have been to the mountaintop. From the mountaintop we have seen the glimpse of the glory of the Promised Land. That is enough for now. As we leave this room, this mountaintop, and return to our wandering in the desert below, let us remember the words of another great leader who did wait actively for the Day through constant prayer and good works. These are the final words of Martin Luther King’s last speech before he was assassinated on the following day: “Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we, as a people will get to the Promised Land.” Amen.

“Guard Your Heart!” (Proverbs 4:23)

“Guard Your Heart!”

(Proverbs 4:23)

Most. Intense. Battleground

Do you know where the most intense battleground in the world today? The answer is “our heart.” One time Pastor David Ross, a representative of Youth With A Mission (YWAM) Korea, led a Bible camp for Korean-American junior high school students. As a part of the retreat practice he took the students to Harlem and did street evangelism with them. After the retreat, Pastor David received an overwhelming number of phone calls of complaint from the parents. They said, “How dare you take my precious children to that place? Do you have any idea how dangerous place Harlem is?” David answered, “The most dangerous place is not Harlem but a comfortable couch in front of the T.V. because the enemy does tempt our children’s hearts as much as he pleases there.” The Bible says “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Pr 4:23, NIV). Our heart is the place where life starts. It determines the course of our life. It affects everything we do. Satan is well aware of this more than anyone else. He carries full-scale attack to poison our hearts. He puts his thoughts into our hearts. John 13:2 says, “The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him” (NRSV). Satan constantly puts his thoughts into our hearts. That is why we must guard our hearts with all diligence. Our next question is then how can we guard our hearts?

Discern the Voices

First, we must discern the voice of God from that of the devil. Normally, we think that all thoughts in our hearts are from ours. But actually, there are three different kinds of the voices which speak to our hearts: the voice of God, the voice of self and the voice of Satan. God puts his thoughts into our hearts. In John 14:26 Jesus said to his disciples, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (NIV). And we already learned that Satan also puts his thoughts into our hearts. We must discern the voice of God from that of Satan. In Galatians 5 Apostle Paul contrasts one to the other. The voice of Satan always prompts us to fall into temptation: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and the list goes on (vv. 19-21). The devil’s purpose is clear: He comes only to steal and kill and destroy (John 10:10a). His voice destroys us. It destroys our relationship with God and with others. But the voice of God gives us life. It is all about love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (vv. 22-23).

It sounds simple to distinguish the voice of God from that of the devil. But in fact, it is not because Satan disguises himself as an angel of light when he speaks to our hearts (2 Cor 11:14). Judas Iscariot never dreamed that the devil put it into his heart to betray Jesus. Eve never knew that she was deceived by the serpent until she ate the fruit. The serpent approached her in a friendly manner. He pretended to stand by her, saying, “You will be like God.” Then, how can we discern between the two voices? We must follow Jesus’ example. When Jesus was tempted by the devil, immediately he was able to discern where that voice came from. How was that possible? It was possible because he was filled with the truth of God, the word of God. Three times Jesus defeated the enemy’s temptations by proclaiming the word of God. There are many ways to identify counterfeit money. But the best way to identify it is to thoroughly know about genuine money. Then, intuitively we can tell the difference between the two. When we have the word in our hearts, we can discern the roots of the thoughts, the roots of the voices. David said in Psalm 119:11, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” This is the first step to guard our hearts.

Resist the Devil

The second step is to resist the devil. James 4:7 says, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Have you ever embarrassed by the thoughts that came to your mind? Yes, I have embarrassed many times by the evil thoughts, sexual immorality, murder, slander and pride. Actually, the devil puts those evil thoughts in our hearts. That’s how he works in us. When those things happen, we must resist the devil right away. Martin Luther said, “You cannot keep birds from flying over your head but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.” Oftentimes we underestimate the dangers of the evil thoughts. We say “That’s just a thought.” But when we harbor evil thoughts, Satan actually takes over us. After the devil put his thoughts into Judas’ heart, Jesus gave him several chances to turn back. Jesus said to the disciples, “You are clean, though not everyone of you” (John 13:10). The disciples didn’t understand. Only Judas knew what Jesus was talking about. But he chose to harbor the evil thoughts. Then, Jesus said, “He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me” (v.18). Again only Judas knew that Jesus was talking to him. But he continued to harbor the evil thoughts. Then, Jesus said more directly, “I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me” (v. 21). But Judas continued to harbor the evil thoughts. And finally, Jesus said, "It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish" (v. 26). But Judas continued to harbor the evil thoughts. After this, Satan entered into Judas (v. 27). So when all kinds of evil thoughts – murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying and slander (Matt 15:19) – come to your minds, say NO to them immediately in the name of Jesus. Never, never, never, harbor those evil thoughts!

Put on the Lord Jesus Christ

Our heart is the most intense battleground. To guard our heart we must discern the voice of God from that of the devil. So when the devil puts his thoughts into our heart, we must resist him right away. But there is more! We must put on the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says, “Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. (Say No to those evil thoughts right away!) But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” (Rom 13:13-14, ESV). Putting on Christ each day doesn’t mean wearing him as an imposition or a burden. It means wearing him as a protection. We must wear the asbestos fire-proof suit when we rescue people from the flames. Jesus is our fire-proof suit. We must wear a bullet proof vest when we confront the pistols of criminals. Jesus is our bullet proof vest. We work diligently to protect our possessions. We work hard to protect our family. But too often we neglect to guard the source of our life, our heart. The Christian life is not just waking; it is war. The Bible says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand” (Eph 6:12-13, NLT/NIV). To put on the full armor of God means to put on the Lord Jesus Christ.

How Do We Put on the Lord Jesus Christ?

Then how do we do that? Jesus Christ is the Word that became flesh (John 1:14). So we can put on Christ by holding fast the Word. When you are tempted to feel condemned, proclaim Colossians 1:13-14 to yourself: “I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins in Christ!” When you are tempted to feel unworthy, proclaim Hebrews 4:14-16 to yourself: “I have direct access to the throne of grace through Jesus Christ!” When you are tempted to live for yourself, proclaim 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: “I have been bought with a price, and I belong to Christ.” The word of Christ guards our hearts and revives our souls. When I was serving as a youth pastor in Cambridge, MA, I spent much time on training three small group leaders. The enemy hit the leaders hard. He caused the relationship problems among them. Two of them fell into a love triangle, and the other broke up with one of the group members. Eventually, one leader moved to another state for further study, and the others went back to Korea. Then, great dissension arose within the young adult group, and some of them left the church. Within a few months the number of the members decreased sharply, and the love of the members grew cold. I was greatly discouraged. Satan whispered to me, “It is over. You failed!” I was crushed and wept. I was about to quit. And I talked to God, “Lord, I am sorry. I am afraid I failed.” And the Lord spoke to me, “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many students in this city.” (Acts 18:9-10) As soon as I heard this word of God, I was able to guard my heart and stand firm again.

Our Lord Jesus Christ promised all of us, “The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26). I commend you to put on not just your clothes but also Jesus Christ every morning. I strongly commend you to give your very first hour of the day to Christ. Every morning spend time with Christ before you meet or talk to someone else. Put on Christ before the enemy puts his thoughts into your heart. Putting on the Lord Jesus Christ daily is not just the alternative to harboring evil thoughts. It is the only way to kill these sinful thoughts and win the battle all the time. The darkness is always pushed out by the light. Let us put on the armor of light. Let us put on the Lord Jesus Christ. “God is with us, we will not fall; God will help us at break of day” (Ps 46:5). Amen.

“Living the Resurrection” (Luke 24:1-9) - Easter Sunday Service -

“Living the Resurrection” (Luke 24:1-9)

- Easter Sunday Service -

Remember!

One of my favorite books that I reread on a regular basis is Pilgrim’s Progress written by John Bunyan. It is a story of one pilgrim’s remarkable journey to the heavenly kingdom. It is very interesting that each name in the story reflects his or her personality. The name of the main character is “Christian.” One time Christian lost his way and was captured by Giant Despair on his journey. And he was thrown into the dungeon of Doubting Castle. The giant said to Christian, “You will never get out alive!” For three days and three nights the giant guarded him carefully. There was nothing to eat or drink. There seemed no hope of release. Christian even saw the skulls in the dungeon. After three days, he began to despair. But then, suddenly he exclaimed, “I just remembered I have a key called Promise! I believe it will open any lock in Doubting Castle!” And he used his key and safely escaped from the castle.

In today’s scripture, the women were filled with grief and despair. They lost their loved one. They lost the purpose of life. They lost all hope. In verse 1, they went to Jesus’ tomb with great grief. But, what’s surprising is that in verse 9, they came back from the tomb with joy and hope. Matthew 28:8 says, “So the women hurried away form the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to his disciples.” So what happened for them between verse 1 and verse 9? We can find the answer in verse 8: “Then they remembered Jesus’ words.” On Easter morning the women were filled with despair and didn’t know what to do. At the very moment the angels appeared to them and said, “Remember how Jesus told you.” And the women remembered Jesus’ words. Surprisingly, their grief and despair began to melt away. Are you pressed on every side by troubles? Use the key that God already gave you. You may say, “I already tried it, but it didn’t work.” Or you may say, “I already know the word of God. But it is no use in my case. I need something new.” But the message these women heard today was not a new message. “The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and on the third day be raised again!” They heard this message over and over since the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. But, they didn’t get the meaning of it. But today, in the most difficult moment the word of God became alive and revived their souls.

  

Assurance of Pardon

The women’s mourning turned into joy. The resurrection of Jesus totally transformed their lives. How about us? Does really Jesus’ resurrection affect our lives today? Yes indeed! It affects all areas of our lives. It affects our past, our present and our future! First of all, Jesus’ resurrection gives us assurance of pardon of our past sins. Apostle Paul says in Romans 4:25, “Jesus was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God” (NLT). By his resurrection, God proved that Jesus is righteous and truly the Son of God. By his resurrection, God counts those who believe in Jesus as righteous before him. I don’t know about you, but for me this is the greatest blessing. I am a beloved husband and father of three children. I am also a pastor loved by you. But, if my past sins are exposed, I cannot stand here. And I am not sure whether my wife and children would accept me as their family. My sins are like scarlet, but by the blood of Jesus and by his resurrection, my sins are all cleansed like snow. This morning I stand here not as a hypocrite but as a forgiven child of God. I stand in agreement with David wholeheartedly. In Psalm 32:1 he says, “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.” Yes, I am blessed. You are blessed. We are blessed in Christ. So, do not let your past have authority over you. By his resurrection, you are a whole new person! The old life is gone, and a new life has begun!

Hope for Tomorrow

Secondly, the resurrection of Jesus gives us hope for tomorrow. Because Jesus has been raised from the dead, we will be also raised. This is “Resurrection faith.” The Bible says, “If there is no resurrection, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1Co 15:19-20). There is a myth, called “the 4-minute mile.” Since 1864, for almost a century, numerous athletes had tried to run 1 mile in 4 minutes, but no one could make it. So, people began to believe that it is impossible to run 1 mile in 4 minutes. But, in 1945 one physician gave a paper that a human is able to run 1 mile in 4 minutes. Surprisingly, in two years 127 athletes did run 1 mile in 4 minutes. Jesus Christ conquered death and opened the door to eternal life so that we may follow him. When we have the hope of resurrection, we can endure our troubles today. Even death, our last enemy, becomes a gateway to heaven. Our God is the God of the living. He is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. What does it mean? Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; they all died in this world, but now they are alive with Christ. That is why our God is the God of the living. Not only Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but also we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses. All of them are alive. In this world, they lived as aliens and strangers, but they desired a better place, “heavenly homeland.” Some of them were tortured. Some suffered flogging, chains, and imprisonment. Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. But, they refused to be released. Why? Because they did not put their hope in this world but in a better life after the resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus gives us living hope for tomorrow.

Power for Today

Jesus’ resurrection gives us not only assurance of pardon for yesterday and hope for tomorrow but also “power” to live for today. By the resurrection of Jesus, the greatest gift from God is given to us, that is, “the Holy Spirit.” After Jesus was raised from the dead, he appeared to his disciples and said, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to everyone” (Mark 16:15, NLT) Then, he gave them divine power, the power of the Spirit. He said, “When you drink deadly poison, it will not hurt you at all” (v. 18). How can we love the unlovable? How can we forgive those who deeply hurt us? How can we continue to serve the unthankful? We cannot, but the Holy Spirit within us is able to do everything. The Spirit removes poisons, whether it is verbal poison, or any kind of poisons he can remove so that they will not harm us at all. Sometimes we are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; struck down, but not destroyed because the Spirit of the resurrected Jesus is with us and within us all the time. Mongooses are cat-sized small animals. But, they are well known for their ability to fight and kill venomous snakes, particularly cobras. How is that possible? It is possible because they are immune to snake venom. When you get hurt by others, remember you are immune to that poison by the resurrection power of Jesus! Invite the Holy Spirit. Welcome him. Proclaim his power of love by faith!

Remember!

When Jesus was arrested and crucified, most of the people left him. But, the women stayed around him. They were standing near the cross. They followed Arimathea Joseph to see Jesus’ tomb, and they were standing outside the tomb weeping. They were powerless. They didn’t know what to do, but they did not leave Jesus. They remained in Jesus, and the risen Christ came and restored them. When you are filled with despair, when you feel depressed, do not leave Jesus. Stay close to him. Remember his word. The word of Christ is living and active (Heb 4:12). The word of Christ is perfect and revives the soul (Psalm 19:7) Jesus said, “The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life” (John 6:63). In other words, when we read the Bible and meditate on the word, we become filled with the Spirit of God. When we fill our hearts with the words of Christ, we become filled with the Life of God. So, when you are troubled in every way, stay still and hold fast his promise. Remember his word, and he will come and save you. Remember, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we have assurance of pardon of our past. We have hope for tomorrow. We have all the power we need to live for today. We are more than enough in Christ. Amen.