“Rest beyond Leisure” (Exo 19:8-11) - The 10 Commandments for Today V -

“Rest beyond Leisure” (Exo 19:8-11)

- The 10 Commandments for Today V -

Stop Walking in Circles

Long time ago one man was missing in the Alps, and he was rescued after 13 days. He had walked more than 12 hours a day to find a village nearby in bad weather. But in fact, it was reported that this man went round in circles within a 4-mile radius. When a person keeps walking with the eyes closed, he or she ends up walking around in circles. But, there is a way to avoid this. If we make a stop for a moment on a regular basis, rather than keep walking, we are able to almost walk in a straight line. Oftentimes we are too busy to stop, and we find ourselves just keeping going and wandering around in circles, just like the man in the Alps. God knows we are prone to wander. He knows we are prone to leave him and turn to our own way. So graciously, God gives us this law of love: “Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy” (Exo 20:8 NRSV). What does it mean to keep the Sabbath? How can we keep it holy?

Made to Rest

First of all, sabbath rest means a deliberate acceptance of personal rest by faith. Some Christians consider sabbath a luxury. But in fact, sabbath rest is a necessity for those who want to have spiritual growth and maturity. In six days God made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested. Moses says, in Exodus 31:17, “On the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.” Does God indeed need to rest? Of course not! Then, why did God choose to rest? Because he wanted to show us a rhythm of rest and work, so that we might follow his example. This morning we sang “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.” Some of you might notice that in the score there is no a breath mark. That doesn’t mean we don’t take a breath at all while we sing all three verses. Instead, we take a breath whenever we like or need it. In the same way, if we don’t take a rest on the Lord’s Day, that doesn’t mean that we do not rest, but we do rest whenever we feel like it. Judges 17:6 says, “In those days there was no king in Israel. People did whatever they felt like doing” (MSG).

We do not rest because our work is done. We rest because God commanded it and created us to rest. We were made to rest. Many of us think of resting as something we do after our work is done. But sabbath is not something that happens after. It is something to be pursued before. God worked in six days, and on the seventh day he rested. But as for Adam, the first thing he did was resting in God. He was made on the sixth day, and on the seventh day first he rested to enjoy fellowship with God, and then he began to work and take care of the Garden of Eden (cf. Gen 2:15). By nature, our work is never finished. There is always something to be done. In order to keep the Sabbath, we need faith that God will take care of us. If we don’t follow God’s rhythm of rest and work, it will eventually drain vitality and joy in our lives. John Stott was a deeply admired pastor and leader of the evangelical movement. He became a senior pastor of All Souls church at the age of twenty-nine. He did his best, but always he felt like everything piled up and got on top of him. He felt crushed by the heavy administrative load. He even began having nightmare. In the dream he was half-way up the pulpit steps when he suddenly realized that he had forgotten to prepare a sermon. One day he had an opportunity to attend a conference. The message was “Take a quite day at least once a month.” It came to him as a message from God. Immediately he marked one day a month on his calendar with the letter “Q” for Quiet. On the Q-Days He spent time reading, journaling, praying, and doing some long-term planning. As he began to enjoy these days, the heavy burden lifted and has never returned! Sabbath is God’s gift of peace and restoration.

Made to Worship

Second, sabbath rest means worship with the Christian family. Sabbath rest is rest with purpose. Not only did God command us to observe the Sabbath, but also he said, “Keep it holy.” In Leviticus 23:3 the Lord says, “There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sacred assembly.” We set aside one day a week to worship God. The Lord’s Day is for worship. It is a day for attending corporate worship. It is a day for enjoying fellowship with the people of God. Here is a mystery. When we get together as a church and worship God, it quenches our deepest thirst. In John 4 Jesus talks with a Samaritan woman. This woman has had five husbands, and the man she’s living with now isn’t even her husband. She has been trying to quench her thirst through men. But it was like drinking seawater. The more she craves men, the more thirsty she feels. Jesus says to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.” Then she realizes that her deepest thirst is for God himself. And Jesus offers the way to quench her thirst. He says, “God is spirit and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” Worship on the Lord’s Day is a remedy to cure our thirst.

We need leisure and amusement. They are good and enjoyable. But the thing is that they are temporary. They may provide a momentary rest for the body and mind, but they will not last. They will not satisfy the deep need for rest of our souls. Only Sabbath rest and worship can penetrate to the deepest levels of fatigue in our inner being. I exhort all of you in this room to make every effort to attend corporate worship wherever you are – whether you may travel around, or you may visit your family, or you may go to your camp. Wherever you are, go to a local church where you can worship. Throw yourselves into the worship and draw from the prayers, the hymns, and the sermon food for your spirits, and your souls will find rest in God.

Made to Work

Third, sabbath rest means to be in tune with God. As we come to God’s presence and rest in him, we are then able to see things in their true size. We see God’s majesty and glory. We realize how great our God is and how little we are. And we reach a point when we cannot but ask fundamental questions of life to ourselves: “What on earth am I here for?” “What does my work mean?” “What is my mission?” Sabbath rest helps us to interpret the purpose of life, our work, and our mission with an eternal perspective. When we pursue biblical rest, we measure our thoughts and values against the eternal truths. We ponder where we are headed in the coming week, month, or year. We define our intentions and make our dedications. Keeping the Sabbath is like tuning a guitar. Although we tune a guitar, it goes out of tune very fast. We need to tune a guitar every time before we play. Likewise, sabbath rest helps us to keep in tune with God, so that we can make our way through the world for another week.

For me personally, I have experienced failures in terms of keeping the sabbath holy in my personal life. When I came to the U.S. in 2006, I studied during weekdays and worked on weekends as a youth pastor. As time went by, I felt a great deal of stress because of the heavy workload both at seminary and at the church. Unfortunately, I began to violate the fourth commandment. I reduced my devotional time in the morning, and I began to work at school to earn my pocket money. I skipped my sabbath rest on Sunday evenings, and I began to study. At first, it seemed to work well. But after one semester, my soul almost choked to death. No joy, only compliant. I had to go through burnout and breakdown. I was oppressed by a sense of failure. Around that time, I had a chance to read the story of Pastor John Stott that I shared earlier this morning. Immediately, I also began to have “Q-Day” every Monday morning. I spent time listening to sermon, reading, and taking a nature walk. Sabbath rest did restore my soul. And I felt not only rested but able to use the rest of the week in a far more effective way. Actually, the father of Q-Day is Jesus. Luke 4:16 says, “As he always did on the Sabbath, he went to the meeting place” (MSG). Mark 1:35 also says, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (NIV). In these short verses, we can find the secrets of success in life. He couldn’t even find time to eat, but his spirit was always rested. His schedule was really hectic, but he was always full of God’s grace and truth. After his three year ministry, on the cross he declared, “It is finished!” Jesus was regularly refreshed by true sabbath rest. He showed us when we observe a godly rest, how tough and resilient Christians we can actually be.

Choosing to Rest

Have you heard “mad cow disease”? Do you know why cows get mad cow disease? Most scientists believe that cows get this disease when they are fed the remains of other cattle. Cows were made to eat plants. But when they are fed meat, they get diseased. In the same way, we were made to worship God and find rest in God alone. But when we try to quench our thirst by other things, our souls get diseased. Pascal said, “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.” Sabbath rest is God’s gift for everyone. But there is one condition. We must accept this gift and take the time to receive it. Choose to rest. Choose to worship. Choose to keep in tune with God. And you will find rest for your souls. Amen.

“Did You Receive the Holy Spirit?” (Exo 20:7; Acts 19:11-17) - The 10 Commandments for Today IV –

“Did You Receive the Holy Spirit?” (Exo 20:7; Acts 19:11-17)

- The 10 Commandments for Today IV –

Living in the Old Testament?

There was a Japanese soldier named Hiroo Onoda. In 1944 he was sent to the small island in the western Philippines to spy on U.S. forces in the area. However, allied forces defeated the Japanese army in the Philippines. While most of the Japanese troops on the island withdrew or surrendered, Mr. Onoda hid in the jungles. He dismissed the news saying World War II was over. He refused to believe that the war had ended and chose to remain in the jungles for 29 years. In 1974 his former commanding officer traveled to see him and tell him he was released from his military duties. Only then was Mr. Onoda persuaded to come out of hiding and finally surrendered.

Mr. Onoda was living in the time of war 29 more years unnecessarily because of his ignorance and stubbornness. In today’s scripture, Acts 19, Paul just arrived at the city of Ephesus. It was his third missionary journey around 55 A.D. There he met a group of disciples who were still living in the Old Testament. Jesus was already raised from the dead and ascended into heaven. The Holy Spirit already came down upon the apostles on the day of Pentecost about 20 years ago. But the disciples in Ephesus didn’t know the new age opened up by Jesus. They didn’t know the new life led by the Holy Spirit. All they knew was John’s baptism, a baptism of repentance. For them, salvation was mere forgiveness of sins. When they did wrong, they confessed their sins and kept living their own ways. They were ignorant of Pentecost, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Misusing God’s Name

In Ephesus, there was another group of people who misused the name of the Lord. At that time the city of Ephesus had a reputation as a center for the learning and practice of magical arts. According to F.F. Bruce, among practitioners of magic in ancient times Jews enjoyed high respect, because they were believed to have exceptionally effective spells at their command. They used God’s name for their occult practices. Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were a part of this group. They tried to invoke Jesus’ name over the demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” One day the evil spirit talked back, “I know Jesus and I’ve heard of Paul, but who are you?” Then the possessed man jumped on them and beat them up. Naked and bloody, they fled out of the house. How shameful! How powerless! Obviously, they violated the third commandment: “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God” (Exo 20:7). The seven sons of Sceva misused God’s name for their own personal advantage, and God did not hold them guiltless. We live in a world different from the Ephesians. We may not take God’s name in vain for sorcery. But oftentimes we are tempted to use God’s name to advance to our own agenda. We are tempted to misinterpret Scripture for our own purposes. God’s name has been used to endorse everything from the Crusades to the slave trade, from political parties to social causes, and the results are almost always disastrous.

Tongues and Prophecy (Acts 19:6)

Then, how can we avoid misusing God’s name? More positively, how can we honor God’s great name? The answer is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. When Paul met the people in Ephesus full of magical practices and misusing God’s name, the first question he specifically asked is this: “Did you receive the Holy Spirit?” Today’s scripture tells us how we can honor God’s holy name when His Spirit comes upon us. First, God’s name is honored when we speak in tongues and prophesy. Acts 19:6 says, “When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.” Tongues and prophecy have in common that God speaks through us. James 3:5 says, “Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.” Our tongue is the representative of the body. When we pray in tongues, we experience “dying of self.” We die to self and live to Christ. We surrender our tongue, ourself, and let the Spirit of God pray through us. Romans 8:26 says, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” When we pray in tongues, we pray in the Spirit (1Co 14:15 NLT). For me personally, when I pray in tongues, I feel refreshed and strengthened because the Spirit himself intercedes for me. Like Paul said, I would like all of us in this room to eagerly desire and speak in tongues and prophesy (14:5). The Bible says not all speak in tongues, not all prophesy (12:30). But the heart of these gifts is to crucify self and show who God is and glorify his name (12:7 MSG). God’s name is praised when we surrender ourselves to God and trust him more.

Healing and Freedom (vv. 11-12)

Secondly, God’s name is honored when his people are healed and evil spirits come out of them. Today’s passages, verse 11 and 12 says, “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.” Every time Jesus preached the gospel, he always drove out the evil spirits and healed all the sick (ex. Matt 4:24; 8:16; 10:1) Although we don’t see many who are possessed with demons around us, many people still live under bondage to demonic powers today. Paul says, in his letter to the Ephesians, “You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil - the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God” (2:2 NLT). But when the Holy Spirit comes, we experience healing and freedom (cf. 2 Co 3:17). When I visited my family in Korea last time in 2010, my grandfather who is a retired pastor, gave me his journal. In the journal he describes how God healed his people and set them free from the power of the devil. While he was serving one particular church for 27 years, 13 demon possessed people were freed, 4 paralyzed people were cured, 7 people were raised from the dead, including 5 adults and 2 children, and many other who had cancer were also healed. I know this is true, because I was there. I went to his church. Many of them who were healed are still alive and active in the church. When the Holy Spirit comes, we see a demonstration of the Spirit’s power. When we experience the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in our church and in our own lives, then we come to have a godly reverence of God and God’s name is greatly honored (Acts 19:17).

Revival (vv. 17-20)

Third, God’s name is honored when, we experience revival. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ the sick were cured and the evil spirits were driven out in Ephesus. And the news soon spread all over the region. Many people became believers and confessed their sins. A number of them who had practiced occult arts gathered their books and burned them in front of everybody. The value of the books was 50,000 drachmas, which was several million dollars. When revival comes, God’s name is exalted and our lives are transformed. In his book, A faithful narrative of the surprising work of God, Jonathan Edwards, leader of the Great Awakening, shares his own story of revival that he experienced in his town, Northampton, MA, in 1735 in this way:

“…the town seemed to be full of the presence of God: it never was so full of love, nor so full of joy; and yet so full of distress, as it was then. There were remarkable tokens of God's presence in almost every house. It was a time of joy in families on the account of salvation's being brought unto them; par­ents rejoicing over their children as newborn, and husbands over their wives, and wives over their husbands. The goings of God were then seen in his sanctuary, God's day was a delight, and his tabernacles were amiable. Our public assemblies were then beautiful; the congre­gation was alive in God's service, everyone earnestly intent on the public worship, every hearer eager to drink in the words of the minis­ter as they came from his mouth; the assembly in general were, from time to time, in tears while the word was preached: some weeping with sorrow and distress, others with joy and love, others with pity and concern for the souls of their neighbors...”

Did You Receive the Holy Spirit?

When the Holy Spirit comes, God’s name is exalted on high. It is sure that from the moment when we receive and believe in Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit at all times (John 1:12; 14:16-17; Col 2:9-10). Although all Christians are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, not all Christians are filled with the Holy Spirit. How, then, can we be filled with the Holy Spirit? The answer is we must ask. We must sincerely desire to be directed and empowered by the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:9-13). Being filled with the Holy Spirit is not just for the chosen people, but for everyone. The Lord God Almighty promised, “In the last days I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams” (Acts 2:17). Did you receive the Holy Spirit? Have you felt the fullness of the Holy Spirit? How can we glorify God’s name in our lives? How can we draw our family and friends to Christ? The answer is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. There is no community revival without personal revival. John Wesley said, “I set myself on fire and people come to watch me burn.” This is my prayer for Pentecost, “Set me on fire, Lord, I give myself as a sacrifice on the altar. Let me be a man of fire through the Holy Spirit.” And I pray the same prayer for you. When you light yourself on fire with passion, people will come form miles to watch you burn. Ask the Holy Spirit to come to your life! Welcome the Holy Spirit! Desire to be directed and empowered by the Holy Spirit! Surrender the control of your life to the Holy Spirit! You will experience the abundant and fruitful life that Christ promised (John 10:10), and through your life God will be glorified. Amen.

“The Right God, the Right Way” (Exodus 20:4-6) - The 10 Commandments for Today III -

“The Right God, the Right Way” (Exodus 20:4-6)

- The 10 Commandments for Today III -

What Is an Idol?

In his book The Wounded Healer, Henri Nouwen tells a story about four brothers. Each of them decided to master his own special ability. Time went by, and the brothers got together to find out what they had learned. The first said, "I have mastered a science. I can take but a bone of some creature and create the flesh that goes with it." The second said, "I know how to grow that creature's skin and hair if there is flesh on its bones." The third said, "I am able to create its limbs if I have flesh, the skin, and the hair." The fourth concluded, "And I know how to give life to that creature if its form is complete." Then, the brothers went into the jungle to find a bone so they could demonstrate their specialties. They found one, and it was a lion’s. One added flesh to the bone, the second grew hide and hair, the third completed it with matching limbs, and the fourth gave the lion life. Immediately, the ferocious beast arose, jumped on his creators, killed them all and vanished contentedly into the jungle.

How do you define an idol? Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word “idol” as “a representation or symbol of an object of worship.” It is a man-made representation of some divine being. Idols are the work of human hands. There is no life in them, but when we make idols, we become like them. In the end, the idols destroy us as we have heard the story just before. There are two forms of idolatry. God gives the first two commandments to his people: “Do not have other gods” and “Do not make idols.” They are two different regulations. The first commandment forbids us to worship false gods, and the second commandment forbids us to worship the true God falsely. At Sinai, the Israelites made the golden calf. It did not represent other gods. It was precisely intended to represent the God of Israel. The Israelites worshiped the true God falsely. After making the golden calf, the people said, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt” (Exo 32:4). There is another story about false worship in the Bible: the story of King Jehu. He refused to worship other gods. He eliminated Baal worship from Israel. He put the wicked queen Jezebel to death. He also summoned all the prophets of Baal and destroyed them. So far, so good. But the Bible goes on to say, “Jehu did not turn aside from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin--that is, the golden calves that were in Bethel and in Dan” (2 Kg 10:29). Jehu enforced the first commandment, but he allowed his people to break the second commandment: worshiping the true God falsely.

What Is False Worship Today?

The golden calves are still standing today in many forms. Then, what are some of the ways we worship our God falsely? One of the most notable examples of false worship is “self-centered” worship. We make an idol whenever worship becomes self-centered. The Bible says, “God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). But too often we put God in a box. We try to remake God into our image. We pick and choose to worship some of his attributes, but not others. We think that it would be unfair for God to allow things like famine, war, suffering, crime, disaster, and disease exist in our world. As we hear the news about Nepal Earthquake or Baltimore riots, we become angry with God because he has violated our image of him. We assume somehow that it is in God’s character to give us only joy and happiness. Then when things begin to fall apart, we either lose our faith in the image or pick and choose the attributes of God that we want to accept. Some Christians deny fundamental doctrines like Jesus’ substitutionary atonement, the divine judgment and hell in order to include everyone and every religion. Some feminist theologians deny the Fatherhood of God in order to elevate the status of women in the Bible. When we say, “I like to think of God as…” we are remaking God in our image.

We also make an idol whenever we turn God into something that we can manipulate. This was the whole point of the golden calves. King Yehu and his people did not think that God actually lived in the golden calves, but they did think that the idols gave them the kind of spiritual contact to manipulate God. God commanded the Israelites to worship him at one place. He said to them, “Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings anywhere you please. Offer them only at the place the LORD will choose in one of your tribes, and there observe everything I command you” (Deut 12:13-14). But Rehoboam made two golden calves in Bethel and Dan, built shrines on high places, and appointed priests from all sorts of people who were not Levites. It was a user-friendly god. It was a god who can be adapted to suit their purposes. Both Rehoboan and Jehu tried to use God for their political purposes (cf. 1 Kg 12:28). The golden calves are still standing today. We say “If I do this, then God will do that.” If I say the right prayer every day, I will have God’s blessing. If I fulfill my vow, then God will make my family prosperous. But in fact, if God chooses, he may withhold our breath. If he likes, we may become poor. Death may come to us unexpectedly, or sudden wealth may become part of our lot in life. But all of this is in God’s hands. God will not be contained, managed, or manipulated by anyone or anything, for any purpose. God wants us to trust him and obey him, not use him.

How Can We Worship God in the Right Way?

Then how can we worship God in the right way? John Calvin said, “The human heart is a perpetual factory of idols.” Our hearts constantly make idols and worship God the way we want him to be, rather than the way he actually is. Who can save us from our own private idolatries? The answer is simple and clear: Jesus Christ our Lord! In order to come to God in true worship, all we have to do is come to him through Jesus Christ. Colossians 1:15 says, Jesus is “the visible image of the invisible God” (NLT). Hebrews 1:3 says, Jesus is “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” (ESV). In Athens the Apostle Paul was deeply troubled to see the city full of idols. Then, he preached Christ crucified. Some laughed at him, and others said, “We will hear you later.” Only few people joined him and became believers. If I were Paul, I would change strategy and deliver milder message. But at the next city, in Corinth, Paul preached the exact same message: Jesus Christ and him crucified. He knew it was a stumbling block and foolishness to the people. But he preached Christ and him crucified, because he knew that the message of the cross of Christ is the power of God to save them and transform their lives forever. When we come to Christ, the one true image of God, all the other idols, false gods, in our hearts will be broken into pieces one by one.

How can we know Christ personally?

Then, how can we come to Christ? How can we know Christ personally? Jesus Christ is the living word of God (John 1:1, 14). We can know Christ by reading the Word, hearing it, studying it, memorizing it, and meditating on it by faith. In the 1940s there were two famous evangelists, Charles Templeton and Billy Graham. They were close friends. At that time Charles Templeton was older and more well-known. Everyone thought he was going to overturn the world with the gospel. But Templeton ended up leaving the Christian faith and became an atheist. Just before he died in 2001 at the age of 86, he published the book titled, Farewell to God. In the book he told us about a crucial conversation he had with Billy Graham. Templeton said to Graham that he couldn’t believe the biblical account of creation. And he raised many other difficult questions. After this, Billy Graham faced the spiritual crisis about the authority of the Bible. One night, he went to the woods, carrying his Bible and prayed. The Holy Spirit said to him, “Trust the Bible and proclaim it as the word of God.” Since then, whenever he stood on the pulpit, he always said, “The Bible says.” And the Holy Spirit was able to use him in a mighty way, smash idols in people’s hearts, and turn many to Christ.

Pick Up and Read!

The second commandment, “Do not make idols” is spiritual. It applies to the heart. We may not worship something we can see or touch. But in our hearts we may be busy fashioning God in our image, our own golden calf. Our golden calf can be the God remade by our own experience, wounds, false arguments, lofty opinion, and ignorance. Probably many of you remember St. Augustine’s conversion. Although he had a brilliant mind, his golden calf – false arguments and lofty opinion – had blinded his mind. He was not able to see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. But one day in the garden he heard children chanting, “Pick up and read. Pick up and read.” And he opened the Bible and read Romans 13:13-14. He felt like his heart was flooded with light. Later, reflecting on this experience, Augustine wrote his famous prayer: “You have made us for yourself, Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” My prayer is that as we pick up and read the Bible each and every day, the Lord may restore us, remold us, remake us into his image, so that we may rest in him and live for his glory forever. Amen. 

“Honor Your Mother” (Exodus 20:12) - The 10 Commandments for Today II -

“Honor Your Mother” (Exodus 20:12)

- The 10 Commandments for Today II -

The Images of Mother

As we get older, the images of mother change accordingly. When we are 4 years old, we think, “My mommy can do anything and knows everything!” When we turn 12 years old, we come to the realization, “My mother doesn’t really know quite everything.” When we turn 18 years old, we say, “She is old-fashioned. She’s way out of date!” When we turn 25, we begin to think, “Well, she might know a little bit about it.” When we turn 40, we say, “Before we decide, let’s get mom’s opinion.” When we turn 50, we say, “Wonder what mom would have thought about it.” When we turn 70 years old, we say, “Wish I could talk it over with mom once more!” For me I frequently think, “What would my mother do in this situation?”

Honor Your Father and Your Mother

The Bible says, “Honor your father and your mother.” This is the fifth commandment. The first word is “honor.” Literally, this is a heavy word. The word dbeK' (kaved) in Hebrew means “heavy” or “weighty.” In the Old Testament this word is used for the glory of God, for the weightiness of his divine majesty (ex. Exo 14:4). To honor our parents means to give them the recognition they deserve for their God-given authority. To honor is to respect, esteem, value and prize fathers and mothers as gifts from God. The fifth commandment is not just for children, but it really applies to everyone. The fifth commandment is for teenagers. Sadly, rebelling against parents has become a common sin. The cover of one magazine for teen-aged girls asked, “Do you really hate your parents? Like, who doesn’t?” And the magazine offered advice on “how to deal with your detestables.” To honor fathers and mothers means to speak well of them to friends. It means to listen to them what they say. It means to talk to parents, letting them know what’s happening. The fifth commandment is for young adults. They have major decisions to make about education, career, and marriage. For them, to honor parents means to humbly seek their counsel. The fifth commandment is for middle-agers. Half of Americans don’t think that children have a responsibility to care for elderly parents. To Honor fathers and mothers means to spend time with them and make them a priority. It means to care for them to the very end of their lives. The fifth commandment is for everyone.

Honor Extended

Some of you may wonder what this commandment really means when your father or mother now passed. The fifth commandment is extended to those who have legitimate authority over us. This commandment applies not only to the relationship between children and parents, but also the relationships between wives and husbands, between employees and employers, and between citizen and government. The Apostle Paul describes beautifully what those relationships should be in Christ in Ephesians 5 and 6. At work, to honor our bosses means to work hard and speak well of the management. At church, to honor our leaders means to encourage them and assist them in their efforts for our spiritual progress. And to honor government leadership means to pray for politicians. It means to obey the laws of governments and pay our taxes. We often say, “I will acknowledge authority if my husband is trustworthy, if my pastor is spiritually mature, if my boss is generous, and if the government meets my expectations.” But we must honor them and show them respect, not because they are necessarily right, but because this is the right thing to do in God’s eyes (cf. Eph 6:1). Our respect is not based on their personal qualities or professional qualifications, but on the position God has given them. The Bible says, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God” (Rom 13:1).

Pastor John Bevere shares his own eye-opening experience in his book, Under Cover. In the mid-1980s, he was offered the position of youth pastor at a fast-growing church. From the first day of work he started devouring youth ministry books and manuals. And he found that one church in Louisiana had an outstanding youth program. Immediately, he flew to that church and met the church leadership. He found that the success of the ministry was from home cell group ministry. As soon as he came back, he decided to do the same thing with his youth group. On the following Sunday, he met the senior pastor and got a permission from him. John trained 24 cell group leaders for eight months and was about to start home cell groups. But at the staff meeting, all of the sudden the senior pastor announced in this way, “We will cancel the home cell group plan. The Holy Spirit directs our church to another direction.” Of course, John was mad at his pastor. He thought he was right and on God’s side, but the pastor was missing it. After he came back home, he continued to meditate on how wrong his pastor was. As he stared out the window, the Holy Spirit spoke to his heart. He said, “John, when you stand before me in judgment for the time period that I have had you serve this pastor, you will not first give an account of how many youth you led to salvation. You will first be judged on how faithful you were to the pastor I’ve put you under.” With those words John repented of his rebellious attitude. And he called the senior pastor and asked for his forgiveness.

Unjust Authority

It is not always easy to respect authority, especially “unjust” authority – difficult parents, or spiritually immature church leaders, or incompetent politicians. Why does then God allow those situations? It is because God wants to know whether we really have the fear of God. God tests our hearts by putting us under the unjust authority for the time being, and he sees how we react. There is a story about this in the Bible – the story of King Saul and David. More than ten years, David had been hunted. However, He never fought back against Saul. He even had two perfect chances to take revenge. But both times, David spared Saul’s life. He spared Saul’s life because of one reason: He feared the Lord. He said to his men who wanted to destroy Saul, “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the LORD.” David honored Saul by sparing his life because King Saul was the anointed of the Lord. David respected his God-given authority, honoring Saul because he honored God. God was very pleased with David and called him a “man after my own heart” (cf. Acts 13:22). God tests our hearts whether we truly fear him by putting us under his delegated authority.

Honor’s Reward

Our next question, then, would be “What will be the reward for those who fear the Lord?” The fifth commandment comes with a reward: “Honor your father and mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” When the Bible talks about living long in the land, it is not simply talking about how old people are when they die. The expression “live long in the land” is a Hebrew phrase for the fullness of God’s blessing. It means to have an abundant life. It means to have an intimate friendship with God. In Psalm 25:14 David says, “The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.” About half of the Psalms was written by David, and it is assumed that many of his psalms were written during the times when he was pursued by Saul in the wilderness. Probably he was physically weary and tired in the wilderness. But, spiritually it was the highlight of his life because he had a more intimate fellowship with God than ever before in his life. David feared God by honoring his God-given authority and received honor’s reward.

In 2006 I began to serve a newly planted church as a part-time youth pastor while I was attending a seminary. At church, there was no other church staff, so I had several job descriptions: I did a church secretarial job, drove a church van, led a praise team, and taught the young adult group. As I spent much time with the senior pastor and got to know him better, I began to see his weaknesses and flaws in his character. I became doubtful about his ministry. From my perspective he seemed to run the church like a business. The church seemed to be driven by programs and activities. He was also very demanding of me. My complaints against him had been building up. After a year, I just poured out my complaint to him. Eventually, I resigned from my position and left the church. In the meantime I felt like my relationship with God was hindered by something. But, I did not know why. A few months later, the Holy Spirit convicted me of my disobedience against the senior pastor’s authority. God clearly revealed how I failed to show him respect with a sincere heart, and how I reluctantly obeyed him under his authority. The Holy Spirit said to me, “You were disobedient not to him, but to me.” I came to my senses. I contacted him and asked his forgiveness for my disobedience. Then, the hindrances were removed, and I was able to enjoy intimate fellowship with God again.

Under God’s Authority

Today we celebrate Mother’s Day. This is a perfect day to say “Thank You” to our mothers – our biological mothers, adoptive mothers, foster-mothers, and all the spiritual mothers who take care of us. This is also a perfect day to examine our relationships with those who are in authority. My prayer is that the Holy Spirit may show us the areas of disobedience to authority in our lives. It is not our job to pass judgment on them. Our job is to respect and honor God’s delegated authority. If appropriate go in person, or write a letter to them, or pick up the phone and call them, and ask for their forgiveness. Then, we will be no longer tied down under human authority, but we will be free indeed under God’s divine authority. Amen. 

“No Other Gods” (Exodus 20:1-3) - The 10 Commandments for Today I -

“No Other Gods” (Exodus 20:1-3)

- The 10 Commandments for Today I -

“Ten Real Commandments”

This year we as a church are conducting the “One Year Bible Reading” movement. We have finished reading the New Testament in the first quarter. And now we are reading the Pentateuch – the first five books of the OT. Probably some of you have experienced that you just gave up reading somewhere in the middle of Leviticus or Deuteronomy, in the middle of all different kinds of laws. According to our reading plan, we are supposed to read Leviticus from today. You may wonder why we need to read those regulations and laws. In order to help you keep going, we will explore the Ten Commandments from today for ten weeks because they are the essence of God’s law. James Patterson and Peter Kim wrote a book, titled The Day America Told the Truth. They observe that today there is absolutely no moral consensus at all. Everyone is making up their own personal moral codes – their own Ten Commandments. Some of the rules are as follows:

-         I don’t see the point in observing the Sabbath (77 %).

-         I will steal from those who won’t really miss it (74 %).

-         I will cheat on my spouse – after all, given the chance, he or she will do the same (53 %).

Is the Law Still Binding Today?

Many people don’t think that God’s law is still in effect today. The problem is many Christians also think the same on this issue. One of the rationales behind this is that we are not under law but under grace (Rom 6:14). They argue that God’s law has been abolished in the New Testament. To answer this question we should be aware that there are at least three different kinds of law in the Old Testament: the moral, the civil, and the ceremonial. The moral law is summarized in the Ten Commandments. In Romans 3:31 Paul says, “Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.” The moral law displays the character of God. So It is holy, righteous and good (7:12). The moral law also expresses God’s perfect and righteous will for our lives.

The civil law consisted of the laws that governed Israel as a nation under God. For instance, when you read Deuteronomy, you would find guidelines for waging war, restrictions on land use, and penalties for specific violations of Israel’s legal code. That’s the civil law. The civil law has expired. In the New Testament the Church is Israel (Rom 9:6-7; Gal 3:29). And the Church is not a state. We do have a king, Christ, but his kingdom is spiritual. Although the civil laws contain useful principles, we are no longer bound by their specific regulations.

The ceremonial law is also no longer in effect. When you read Exodus and Leviticus, you would find laws for clean and unclean foods and instructions for offering sacrifices. That’s the ceremonial law, and it has been abolished, because Christ has offered himself to make atonement for our sin once for all. Because of that, now we don’t need any further sacrifices. If we continue to make a sacrifice, it would be to deny the sufficiency of his work on the cross. Let me ask this question: “Is the law still binding today?” The answer is, of course it is! The moral law is as eternal as God is. 

The Law as a “Map”

Now we know the moral law is still valid today. Our next question is: “What is the purpose of God’s law?” “Why do we have to keep God’s law?” In Deuteronomy 10:12 Moses says, “Observe the LORD’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.” Many of us think that God’s law restrains our freedom, but actually, God gives us his law for our own well-being. The LORD said to Joshua after Moses’ death, “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” God’s moral law is like a map. It teaches us how to live for God’s glory. The Ten Commandments begins in this way: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. He identifies himself as a Redeemer. He delivered his people out of slavery while they were still undeserved. First God set his people free, then he gave them his law. First the Israelites were saved, then they had God’s law to live for their redeemer. They had a story to tell to their children how the Lord did deliver them with a mighty hand and outstretched arms.

We too have a story to tell. And our story begins with our slavery to sin. I still clearly remember my college years. I was in such spiritual bondage. There was no way out. I didn’t want it, but I just kept sinning. I was powerless. I was a slave to sin. One time one friend of mine said, “I want to commit suicide.” Do you know what I said? I said to him, “So do I.” I was hopeless. I couldn’t find the purpose of life. But Jesus Christ even came to my life. He loosed the chains of sin and set me free by his precious blood. He indeed gave me a new heart. He transformed my heart. That was my great exodus. We are redeemed by Jesus’ death and resurrection. What comes next? Are we free to live as we please? By no means! When God redeemed his people, he had a clear purpose. When Jesus redeems us, there is a clear purpose. 2 Corinthians 5:15 says, “And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” God gives his redeemed people the law to teach them how to live for his glory.

What Are Our Idols?

The first commandment is this: “You shall have no other gods before me.” All of us in this room believe in God. So we may think that at least we faithfully obey the first commandment. But that may or may not be true. One time Sociologist Robert Bellah had an interview with a woman named Sheila Larson. Sheila was the ultimate individualist. She said, “I believe in God. I’m not a religious fanatic. I can’t remember the last time I went to church. My faith has carried me a long way. It’s Sheliaism. Just my own little voice.” Bellah comments, “This suggests the logical possibility of over 220 million American religions, one for each of us.” One of the most subtle but strongest idols we serve is the god or goddess of self. Yes, we believe in God. But we do believe in ourselves more than Him. We say we love God, but we spend most of our money for ourselves. We say we want to serve God, but we spend most of our time thinking about our own needs, plans, problems, and desires.

I fight against self-love everyday. I fight against complacency each and every single day. For me personally the best cure for this is to hear the story of the persecuted churches and Christians. Every time those testimonies restore my first love for Christ and set my heart on the kingdom of God. Yesterday I read a story of one missionary family to Afghanistan. Werner and his family were called to go to Afghanistan in 2002. For 12 years life was difficult, but they were glad and rejoiced in Christ. They changed so many Afghans’ lives. In October 2014, Werner preached on the subject of “Counting the Cost of Christ.” He ended by saying, “We die only once, it might as well be for Christ.” Exactly one month after that day, he and his two teenage children were killed in a Taliban attack. Werner’s wife, Hannelie, is the only surviving family member. She said, “For me, it is an indescribable loss. For them and the kingdom, a great gain. I know I have to focus on the gain and not the loss. We lived for Jesus; they died for Jesus.” This story rekindled the fire in me. About two years ago God gave me a heart for North Korea missions. To be honest, I am afraid. I am afraid of torture and death. But I still pray that I may die for Christ and for the North Korean people, because we die only once, we might as well die for Christ.

No God but Christ

On Mount Sinai God had spoken the Ten Commandments. On the Mount of Transfiguration God spoke only one commandment: “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him” (Luke 9:35). “No other gods” means no other name than the name of Jesus. God redeemed the Israelites. Jesus redeemed us by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father! (Phil 2:7-11) Apostle Paul had a story to tell how Jesus set him free by his death on a cross. In a Roman prison he did the dance of joy and worshiped Christ alone. He said to the Philippian Christians, “But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God… And I want all of you to share that joy!” (2:17) Since Paul was redeemed, he lived for Christ and died for Christ. All of us in this room live and die only once. What would you live for? And what would you die for?