“WITH” (Christmas Eve Service)

Three Pictures of Immanuel 

John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement, on his deathbed, cried out with all his remaining strength, “The best of all is, God is with us.” God’s presence is the greatest gift God gives his people. God is personally near. Tonight I want to show you three pictures to help us understand the true meaning of “Immanuel,” God-with-us.

God Created Us

If you have a chance to go to Vatican City, you don’t want to miss this one, The creation of Adam, painted by Michelangelo. On the right side of the fresco, God extends his hand towards Adam, leaning towards him, reaching towards him as much as possible. Michelangelo painted this scene with vibrant colors to describe God as a dynamic, active figure. He comes to our place. He is personally near to us. On the left side of this fresco, we see Adam lean backwards with passive, reserved, lazy posture. Unlike God, we don’t seek him, nor desire him (Rom 3:11). Another point is that Adam’s finger and God’s finger is not touching. There is space. Why is that? Free will. God did give Adam free will to choose to obey or disobey him. But Adam let go of God. He chose independence, separation from God.

God With Us
But God still comes to us, near to us, and with us. How do we

know? How do we know that God does care about us? The second picture answers this question. Probably, some of you in this room have been to Niagara Falls. Suppose you are now standing before Niagara Falls. Probably you stand in awe. You are moved to admiration by its beauty. No one would just ignore it and pass by. When I was there for the first time, it was late night. I just had to stand there to watch for a long while. Then, where does that beauty come from? What attracts us, compels us to stop and stand there? The difference in elevation – 50-yard head of water. The Son of God became human. The Creator became a created being. He gave up all his divine privilege and glory and left his heavenly throne. He was born as a child – maybe 7 or 8 pounds in weight, unable to feed himself, unable to speak, wearing diapers, totally dependent on his parents. He never skipped any part of human life. The Son of God Almighty became limited by space and time. Why? Because of love. It’s radical love. He did all this to reach us, to communicate to us in our language, to save us from sin and death. In Jesus God has come to us to live with us and in us.

God Recreates Us

As we begin to grasp this mystery of incarnation, “God became human” to be with us, it changes everything! The third picture tells us what happens to us when we believe and dwell in this truth. At the Royal Palace of Tehran in Iran, you can see one of the most
beautiful mosaic works in the world. The ceilings and walls flash like diamonds with multifaceted reflections. Originally, when the palace was designed, the architect specified huge sheets of mirrors on the walls. When the first shipment arrived from Paris, they found that the mirrors were shattered. But amazingly, the architect ordered all of the broken pieces collected, then smashed them into tiny pieces and glued them to the walls to become a mosaic of silvery, shimmering, mirrored bits of glass.[1]

Broken into beautiful. Somehow we are all broken; our beautiful image of God is damaged, even destroyed because of our sin. We have made wrong choices. And we see the consequences. But God is able to take our broken piece and turn them into something beautiful. He recreates us. How does he do that? Where do we start? God is always ready. He is always near. He meets us where we are. Jesus found Peter while he was still living a sinful, powerless life, suffering from a vicious cycle (Luke 5:8). But he said to him, “Don’t be afraid. Follow me! From now on you will be catching men! You will do a fresh start!” And Peter left everything and followed him. Jesus also found Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth, and said to him, “Follow me!” So Matthew got up and followed him.

Still today Jesus comes to us, in order to be with us. He is seeking out us gently and actively. In Revelation 3:20 Jesus says, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” Do you hear him knocking the door of your heart? Let us open the door and say, “O come, O come, Emmanuel!” And he will come in and live with us, and he will make something beautiful out of us. Amen.


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[1] “Saving the Broken Pieces,” God’s Work Ministry, http://www.godswork.org/emailmessage147.htm

“God with Us, Life with God” (John 3:16; 1 John 3:16)

God with Us

Today we celebrate the fourth Sunday of Advent. The advent (“coming”) of Jesus Christ is what separates Christianity from all other religions. We affirm that Christ is indeed “Immanuel,” God with us. Christ is the God whom we can know, feel, and touch. He is God with skin.

Last week Esther, my youngest daughter, had a hard time. For some reason she suffered from constipation for three days. She cried, cried in agony. During that time I could feel her pain. I could feel her agony. I wish I could suffer instead of her. But what Joyce and I could do was just to pray for her and to be with her.

In Exodus 3:7-8, when the Israelites groaned under their slavery and cried out, the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people… I have heard their cry… I know their suffering, and I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians…” And God did send Moses to deliver his people. But Moses was a just shadow of the true and better Messiah to come. When the time had fully come, God sent his Son to buy freedom for us who were slaves to sin, so that he could adopt us as his very own children (cf. Gal 4:4-5).

Perhaps John 3:16 is one of the most beloved passages in the Bible. It has only about 25 words in the English translation of it, but it is the gospel in a nutshell:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (NIV).

In his sermon Billy Graham tells us his story to explain the true meaning of this verse. One day Pastor Graham was walking with one of his sons and they stepped on anthill by mistake, and all the ants were suffering. Their little houses had been destroyed. He looked down and he said “I wish we can help to rebuild the anthill but we could not. We are too big and they are too little.” [1] God looked on this planet and saw us as little ants and saw that we are destroying ourselves, so he decided to become a man and that’s who Jesus was. He was God in the flesh. He came to tell us that he so loves us… no matter what. And he healed many sick people, taught us the way to heaven. Jesus was Immanuel 2,000 years ago. And He is still Immanuel today!

Life with God

God is with us. Then, our next question is, what does “life with God” look like? 1 John 3:16 answers this question:

“We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for one another” (NRSV).

“Life with God” begins and ends with love. Life with God is life with love. Let me share the story of Pastor Paris Reidhead. He went to Africa as a missionary. He didn’t think it was right for anybody to go to hell without a chance to hear the gospel. So he went to give poor sinners a chance to go to heaven. But when he went to Africa, he expected that the people there would appreciate him and look forward to hearing the good news. But no! He discovered that they were monsters of sin! They loved their sin and wanted to continue in it. They had no interest in the Bible, no interest in Christ, no interest in heaven. They didn’t welcome him. They didn’t appreciate him. He couldn’t stand any more of their mockery. He just wanted to come home. One day in his private prayer time he poured out his heart to God, and he heard Him say, “Yes they deserved hell! But I love them! And I endured the agonies of hell for them!”[2] When Jesus came to his own, and his own people did not receive him (John 1:11). They didn’t welcome him. They didn’t appreciate him. But Jesus just loved them no matter what. He just loves us no matter what. Even in our least lovable moments, even in our rebellion and sin, God is still near to us and showers us with his love. Once we experience this rain of God’s love, it changes us, compels us to do the same. You keep reaching out, giving your presence to those who are ungrateful, unlovable. You pray for those who hate you. You endure, you suffer, you forgive, you love. That’s what life with God looks like.

Jesus in the Driver’s Seat

A.W. Tozer said that “most Christians are theological Christians… They’re trying to be happy without a sense of the presence.” In other words, they intellectually agree that Jesus is Immanuel. And they want to live a life with God – life filled with love, power, joy. But they don’t experience it. They don’t experience God’s presence. Why is that?

Here’s what Christians tend to do: when we receive Christ, we invite him to be our guest, special guest at best, but not our Master. We are still in control of our lives, making decisions according to our experience, our preference, our knowledge, our plan. We drive the car, and Jesus is in the passenger’s seat. Even though he is a best driver and is with us all the time, our life is still constantly in conflict, confusion, and stress. There will be constant danger of accident. The best way to handle this situation is to get out of the driver’s seat and let him drive. Is Jesus in the driver’s seat in the car of your life? May Christ Jesus dwell in your hearts as Lord of all! Amen.

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[1] Billy Graham, Sermon on John 3:16, http://ipost.christianpost.com

[2] Paris Reihead, “Ten Shekels and a Shirt,” http://www.heavenreigns.com/pdf/ten_shekels.pdf 

“You’re Invited!” (Matt 22:1-14) - The Return of the King II -

When a Parable Doesn’t Make Sense

What is your favorite story in the Bible? Jesus often used short stories, called “parables” to convey deep, spiritual messages, such as “the kingdom of God” and “the end of the age.” In fact, a third of Jesus’ teachings written in the gospels are the parables. By this, Jesus did proclaim things hidden since the creation of the world (Matt 13:35). But, today’s parable, the parable of the wedding feast, is kind of a weird one. Have you ever invited people to your party who did not attend? Everything was ready but some of the guests didn’t come. Did it make you so angry that you killed them and burned down their houses? Probably not, but that’s what happens in this parable. Here perhaps Jesus uses hyperbole to emphasize his point.

There are three different groups of people in this parable: the first-invited group, the second-invited group, and the guy who doesn’t wear the wedding garment. The first-invited group is Israel, the chosen ones. The king sends his servants to call them, but they would not come. So the king graciously sends other servants for the second time, but again they pay no attention. They are either indifferent, or so preoccupied with their own affairs. They would not come. So the king says, “The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy.” Then, he commands his servants to go out and invite anyone they find to the banquet. The same parable written in Luke is more specific. The king says, “Bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame” (14:21b). So it becomes an open invitation to everyone, both bad and good (10). You’re invited. I’m invited. The second-invited group is the undeserving outside of Israel, that is, you and me. The wedding hall is now filled with guests. But then, the king finds a man who isn’t wearing wedding garment. So he orders this man to be tied up and cast outside into darkness. This seems a little harsh. The parable doesn’t seem to make sense. But we need to see the event through first-century eyes. In Jesus’ day, wedding clothes were often provided by wealthy hosts.[1] So this man’s wedding garment had already been provided by the king. But for some reason this man refused to wear the wedding clothes offered. Why? Perhaps he thought his own clothes were good enough. Perhaps he thought he could make it in on his own terms, dressed in his old outfit.

Ignorance 
Who does the man without wedding garment represent? John Bunyan, in his book Pilgrim’s Progress, answers to this question. One day main character Christian and his companion Hopeful meet with Ignorance, a very lively lad, on their way to the Celestial City. He is truly ignorant of the truth, but he is very conceited and certain that he knows everything. Ignorance follows them at a distance. Christian asks, “How stands it between God and your soul?” Ignorance answers, “I have good thoughts, a good heart, and a good life according to God’s commandment.” Christians says, “The Word of God says, ‘There is none righteous, no, not one’ (Rom 3:10). Your name is Ignorance because you are ignorant of Christ’s righteousness and the results of saving faith.” But Ignorance doesn’t listen and says, “I will never believe that my heart is bad. Your faith is not mine, but mine is as good as yours.” Christian says, “Be awakened, see your own wretchedness and fly to the Lord Jesus. By his righteousness you shall be delivered from condemnation.” But Ignorance says, “You go too fast. You go on; I must stay behind for a while.” After this, Christian and Hopeful continue their journey and finally arrive at the gate. But between the pilgrims and the gate is a river. There is no bridge, no boat, and the water is deep. They have to cross a river by swimming. They have a near-death experience. Finally, they arrive at the gate, welcomed by the heavenly hosts. Ignorance gets over with little difficulty, because Vain-Hope, a ferryman, rows him over in his boat. Ignorance climbs the hill by himself, but no one welcomes him. The men at the gate ask him for his certificate. But he doesn’t have it. Then, the king orders his servants, “Take him out, bind him hand and foot and take him away.”

Wedding Guests in Jumpsuits
Who does the man without wedding garment represent? John Bunyan called him Ignorance. But I think “Pride” would be more accurate word: a man of pride. C.S. Lewis rightly says, “… the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.”[2] In the parable this man wouldn’t wear the wedding garment provided by the king because of pride, self-righteousness.

Chris Hoke is a prison chaplain. He tells the story of what happened at a Sunday afternoon Bible study in his prison. At that time there were more than 20 men, and they were studying today’s passage. The group had a natural leader, Richard, and Richard had brought the whole of his part of the prison. He was very excited about the fact that the king invited both bad and good. But then they heard that the king ordered the attendants to bind the man without the wedding garment and cast him into the outer darkness. “Just what I thought,” Richard said. “What do you expect from people like us? We don’t have all the right clothes. We never look right! You should know that!” The chaplain explained quickly that in first-century Palestine, it was the custom for the host to provide these over-garments for the guests, right at the door, before they got into the banqueting hall. Richard spoke back: “But we might not want to wear those clothes. We don’t play by all the little rules. You didn’t really want us at all! Or did you just so you can throw us back out into the darkness? Better to stay in the streets with the bad people than be told you’re wanted and then find out you’re really not!” “You’re just assuming,” the chaplain said, “the one not wearing the garment is one of the ‘bad’ people who were invited off the streets. But it doesn’t say that. What if it’s one of the ‘good’ people who feels suddenly uncomfortable around all these ‘bad’ folks pouring in from the streets and sitting next to him or her. Someone who feels better than these folks. Someone who needs to set himself apart, not putting on the same robe as all these undeserving ones?” He continued, “How do you think the host would feel, watching his new flood of guests that he invited from the streets to share his joy, now all feeling judged by this one guy, who’s totally killing the party, making all the rest of the guests feel uneasy, awkward, unwanted, not belonging? He’d throw that guy outside and tie him up, let him get it out of his system, grumble all he wants—grind his teeth, I don’t care—until he was ready to come back in and share the joy of the king who wants everyone. Even people like you!” But for Richard it seemed too good to be true. He said, “Send me a copy of whatever scholar you’re talking about. I wanna see that in print!”[3]

Come to the Feast!
What is the right dress for God’s banquet? What does the wedding garment represent? The wedding garment provided by host symbolizes the righteousness of Christ provided by God for entrance to Heaven. Revelation 7:14 says, “They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

How do we then put on the wedding garment? By repentance. How did God prepare his people before the coming of Christ? What was the first message of John the Baptist? “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matt 3:2). What was the first message of Jesus? “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (4:17). How can we be prepared at the second coming of Christ or at God’s banquet? By repentance. We sing “Joy to the world” especially in this season of Advent. But the best way to let every heart prepare Him room is to repent. Repentance is not just to regret the sins we have done. It is to invite God to turn our heart. It is to invite God to dwell within us, to reform us from inside out. It is to be in tune with God.

As I look back on my college years, I had to confess that I was legalistic. At that time, I wanted to tithe my time as well as my money. So each day I went to a chapel room on campus, I prayed for a tenth of the day, that is, 2 hours 24 minutes, without joy, but out of sense of duty. And the rest of the day, nine tenths, I was so preoccupied with my own affairs. And I thought that I was doing pretty good and better than many other believers. What a Pharisee I was! I served God, on my terms, with my strength and efforts. Much effort, little fruit. Recently, as I was working out at the fitness center after my morning devotion, the Voice said, “How much time do you spend communing with me?” The first thought that came to my mind was, “I did my devotion.” Then, the Voice said, “Look around, and see people. I want you to be open and listen to me always. I want you to make yourself available to me always, so that I can commune with you and work through you all the time.”

Have you made yourself available to God today? Have you responded to God’s invitation? Are you wearing the wedding garment today? In verse 14 Jesus says, “For many are called, but few are chosen.” Many hear God’s word, but few believe and respond. John Wesley said, “Yea, many are members of the visible Church, but few of the invisible Church.” Let us repent. Let us come out of our old filthy rags of self-righteousness and receive the new ones of abiding in Christ. Let us be awakened, and see our own wretchedness and fly to the Lord Jesus, and by his righteousness we will be saved from ourselves. Jesus is calling! Come to the feast! You’re invited!

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[1] Bryan Loritts, Saving the Saved: How Jesus Saves Us from Try-Harder Christianity into Performance-Free Love (Zondervan: Grand Rapids, 2016), 106.

[2] C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: Macmillan, 1960), 108– 9.

[3] Chris Hoke, “Wedding Guests in Jumpsuits” The Christian Century (1/21/15)

“Maranatha!” (Revelation 22:16-21) - The Return of the King I -

Advent 

Advent begins today. The Advent comes from the Latin word adventus, which means “coming” or “visit.” Advent begins the fourth Sunday before Christmas and ends Christmas Eve. Advent is the beginning of the Christian year. So during Advent, we remember, look back and celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Messiah. But more importantly, we also eagerly anticipate the second coming of Christ Jesus our Lord in this special season of Advent. So this year during Advent, each week we will explore different Bible passages from the perspective of Jesus’ second coming. And we will resume our study on the Book of Romans in the new year.

Advent is a great reminder that Christ will return soon. It reminds us that we must begin with the end in mind. It reminds us that our best life is not now, but the best is yet to come. It reminds us that we must set our hearts on the kingdom of God and live for eternity.

Garden of Eden and New Jerusalem 

Today’s passage is the final chapter and conclusion of the entire Bible. Today we will explore the last two chapters of the Bible, Revelation 21 and 22. There is one dominant characteristic of these two chapters. In these chapters we cannot find any sin or evil. They are already eradicated. There is the only other place where there is no sin or evil in the Bible, that is, the Garden of Eden in the first two chapters of the Bible, Genesis 1 and 2. The entire Garden was filled with the presence of God. There Adam and Eve enjoyed a deep, intimate, constant communion with God. There was full of joy and pleasure. There was no sin, no evil, no death, no suffering, and no disease. Everything was good in God’s eyes. God created the whole universe for man and woman and let them be the lords of creation to take care of it. God even gave them perfect free will to accept his love or to reject it, because the essence of true love is perfect freedom. In the middle of the garden was the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The tree was the holiest place where Adam and Eve worshiped God and had the most intimate fellowship with him. The tree was also a loving reminder that “He is God, the Creator, and we are his creation.” The tree could be seen from anywhere because it was in the middle of the Garden. One day Adam and Eve were tempted to be like God and chose to disobey God. They chose to become the lords of their life. Since that time the way to the middle of the Garden has been blocked (Gen 3:24). Since that time the way to the sanctuary of God has been blocked. We have become separate from God. We have become slaves of sin and death.

However, the last Adam, Jesus, became human to restore the Garden of Eden. In Luke 13:33 Jesus says, “I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day--for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!” Here Jerusalem symbolically refers to the Garden of Eden. It was the place where Adam and Eve used to enjoy intimate fellowship with God. It was the place where they failed to obey God. Jesus came to the very same place. He obeyed God to the end and died on the cross. And the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom (Mk 15:38). He reconciled us to God through the cross. He restored our broken relationship with God through his obedience. The Bible says, “For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.” (Rom 5:19) Calvary was located in a high place that could be seen from anywhere in Jerusalem, just as the tree of knowledge was seen from anywhere in the Garden. The cross at the Calvary was a reminder that “He is our God. We are his people.” God was pleased to save everyone who looks at the cross and believes in Jesus. In Revelation 21:2 John sees the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, the new Eden, coming down out of heaven from God. In the New Jerusalem there is no sorrow, no death, no suffering, no disease, no sin, and no evil.

Engaged to Jesus

God invites all of us in this room to come to his Holy City. “Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life” (22:17). This gospel is available to everyone who believes. 

In Jewish custom a marriage took place in two stages, the engagement and the wedding. The engagement included an exchange of promises and gifts, and was almost regarded as a marriage. The engaged couple could be called ‘husband’ and ‘wife’, and if a separation happened, it would have to be a divorce (cf. Matt 1:18–19). The wedding followed some time after the engagement. It began with a festive procession, music and dancing. Then, the bridegroom went out to bring his bride, who will have made herself ready. And he would bring her back to his home for the wedding feast. We, as a Jesus’ bride, live in the engagement period. Now we are preparing ourselves and waiting for the Bridegroom. Once we get engaged, the power of the devil is remarkably weakened. But still, the devil carries out a full-scale attack to break off our engagement. He tries hard to make our attention wander. He makes us “busy” with many things. He makes us “worry” about many things. All these fragment our lives. All these pull us apart and make us lose our center. Our lives are full of many things to do or think, but we feel unfulfilled.

Our Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, does not try to pull us away from the many things. Instead, he shifts our attention to the “one necessary thing” from the “many things.” In Revelation 22 Jesus says three times, “Behold, I am coming soon!” (7, 12, 20) Here Jesus is saying, “Be ready. Set your hearts on the kingdom of God first… and all these other things will be given as well” (Matt 6:33). Jesus asks us to readjust our priorities and to move our hearts to the center, “the kingdom of God.”

Maranatha Mindset

Horatius Bonar was a Scottish preacher and hymn writer. Whenever he opened the curtains in the morning, he asked to Jesus, “Lord, are you coming today?” Whenever he closed the curtains in the evening, he said, “Lord, are you coming tonight?” He was always packed and ready to go. He said, “Be ready for the last moment by being ready at every moment...so attending to every duty that, let Him come when He may, He finds the house in perfect order, awaiting His return.”

The word "Maranatha" is an Aramaic expression meaning “Come, O Lord.” In the early church when believers gathered or parted, they didn't say "Hello" or "Goodbye." Instead, they said "Maranatha!" to one another. They encouraged one another, reminded one another, and anticipated the imminent return of the Lord. Living with a Maranatha mindset means living as pilgrims and strangers in this world, traveling light and eagerly longing for our heavenly home. It means living as Jesus’ bride purifying ourselves and preparing for our wedding. It means living as servants of the Lord giving ourselves fully to the work of the Lord and laboring for our rewards.

In his sermon, “Don’t Waste Your Life,” Pastor John Piper shares two different stories with us. The first story goes like this. In his church two of the faithful church members, Ruby Eliason and Laura Edwards, who went to Cameroon as missionaries, had both been killed because of a car accident. Ruby was over eighty. Single all her life, she poured it out for one great thing: to make Jesus Christ known among the unreached, the poor, and the sick. Laura was a widow, a medical doctor, pushing eighty years old, and serving at Ruby’s side in Cameroon. As people read this story in the paper, they said, “What a tragedy!” But no, that is not tragedy. That is a glory. Then, Pastor John tells us the second story, what a tragedy is. He reads to us from Reader’s Digest: “Bob and Penny… took early retirement from their jobs in the Northeast five years ago when he was 59 and she was 51. Now they live in Punta Gorda, Florida, where they cruise on their thirty foot trawler, playing softball and collecting shells.” That’s a tragedy. The American Dream: a nice house, a nice car, a nice job, a nice family, a nice retirement, collecting shells as the last chapter before you stand before the Creator of the universe to give an account of what you did: “Here it is Lord — my shell collection! And I’ve got a nice swing, and look at my boat!”[1] That’s a tragedy.

Live for Eternity 

On the Day of the Lord we must give account. That day God is going to ask us at least these two questions: “What have you done with my Son Jesus Christ?” and “What did you do with what I gave you?”[2] What would be your answer? Are you ready to answer?

The promise of the second coming of Jesus occurs 1,845 times in the Old Testament, and 318 times in the New Testament. In other words, about every 30 verses of the Bible tells us about the return of the King Jesus Christ. The Bible keeps telling us, “The day of the Lord will come like a thief” (2 Pt 3:10). But, we will not be surprised if we set our hearts on his kingdom all the time. The last trumpet may sound anytime. Let us travel light. Let us be “packed and ready to go” at every moment!  Let us live for eternity. Let us live to know Christ and make Him known. Let us encourage one another, remind one another, and anticipate together the return of our King Jesus. As we gather and part, let us not just say, “Hello” or “Goodbye,” but say "Maranatha!" Yes, Come, Lord Jesus!

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[1] John Piper, “Don’t Waste Your Life,” https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/boasting-only-in-the-cross/excerpts/don-t-waste-your-life
[2] Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life (Zondervan, 2012) 37-38.