“The Strategy of Love” (1 Cor 9:19-27)

Missionary Mindset

John Nicol Farquhar, a Scottish missionary to India, noticed something about Indian culture that was pretty much identical to our contemporary world. Thanks to the efforts of his senior missionaries, Christianity in India by that time was seen as something compelling and engaging. But Christianity was beginning to be no longer seen as culturally relevant and intellectually credible to the broader culture in India. “Just preach the gospel” approach didn't work anymore. To help people take Christianity seriously again, Farquhar emphasized rigorous intellectual and cultural training.

I think the same thing is happening in our world today. There are so many questions to be addressed before Christianity restores credibility. How do you reconcile Christianity and science? If God is good, why so much suffering and pain?  Why is the church so messy and divisive? What impact does the gospel have on our pluralistic society – on politics, peacemaking, and the public sphere? Barna research group refers to the current U.S. culture as “churchless.” As many as 70 percent of younger people do not find the church either relevant or meaningful and therefore see no reason to attend. As Christians, we are surrounded by a culture estranged from the Christian context. So in this spiritually foreign context how can we love our neighbors and help them to come to the faith?

Becoming All Things

In fact, the Apostle Paul had the same question we have, and he had a strategy for that. I would call it "the strategy of love.” In verse 20 Paul says:

To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law) so that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. (vv. 20-22, NRSV)

Although Paul is free from everyone’s expectations, he has voluntarily become a servant to all of them to reach out to a wider range of people. It doesn’t mean that he took on their way of life – “to the thief I become like a thief,” or “to the adulterer I become an adulterer.” No! He kept his bearings in Christ, but he entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. The essence of the gospel is incarnation – God became man to be with us and to save us. Paul didn’t just want to talk about it; he wanted to be in on it. As a missionary, Paul cultivated two types of mindsets: a steward mindset, and an Olympic mindset to win more people.

Self-Awareness: “A Steward Mindset” 

First of all, Paul had a strong sense of self-awareness as a steward. Before reaching a wide range of people, Paul was well grounded and deeply rooted in Christ. He was keenly aware of his own religious tradition (Pharisee), his past sins (persecuting the church), his conversion (Damascus experience), his calling (apostle to the gentiles). He knew who he is in Christ. We can summarize Paul’s reasoning this way:

1.     I am free from all; I am subject to none.

2.     But, I am under the lordship of Christ.

3.     Therefore, I choose to be a servant of all, subject to all willingly and freely.

Paul had a steward mindset: “I own nothing, Jesus owns everything.” Some in the Corinthian church doubted and challenged Paul’s apostleship. Some were saying, “Paul is not a true apostle, because he is not paid. He is just an amateur.” Some were saying, “Paul is not good enough to be an apostle.” Some were saying, “Paul can’t be an apostle because he did great harm to the church in the past.” Responding to those harsh accusations, since Paul has a clear sense of self-awareness (who he is), Paul is able to stand firm and say, “Although I am Christ’s apostle, I choose not to make full use of my rights, so that I might win more people.” (cf. vv. 18-19) On another occasion Paul also says, "By God's grace I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not wasted. Instead, I worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I, but God's grace that is with me.” (1 Cor 15:10). Paul found his identity, deeply rooted in Christ alone.

Rabbi Edwin Friedman tells the story of the bridge. There was a man who started on his journey. After starting across the bridge, he noticed someone coming from the opposite direction. The stranger began to unwrap the rope as he walked. Just as the two men were about to meet, the stranger said, “Pardon me, would you be so kind as to hold the end of the rope for me?” The man agreed without a thought, reached out, and took it. Then all of sudden, the stranger jumped off the bridge. He yelled over the edge, “Why did you do this?” “Remember,” said the other, “If you let go, I will be lost.” “Why did you do this?” he asked again. “Don’t you see what you have done? What possible purpose could you have in mind?” “Just remember,” said the other, “my life is in your hands.” Finally, the man devised a plan. He said to the stranger, “I will not accept the position of choice for your life, only for my own; I mean, simply, it’s up to you. I will become the counterweight. You do the pulling and bring yourself up. I will even tug some from here.” “You cannot mean what you say,” the other shrieked. “You would not be so selfish. I am your responsibility. Do not let go of me. Do not do this to me.” After a long pause, the man on the bridge at last uttered slowly, “I accept your choice.” In voicing these words, he freed his hands and continued his journey over the bridge.[i]

This story tells us the importance of self-awareness and self-differentiation. In reality we face these kinds of dilemmas all the time. Paul was not any different from any of us. But he was able to differentiate himself from the other apostles, his past, his wounds. And he was able to gain self-awareness in Christ. “I am not Peter, but I too am called to be an apostle to the gentiles. (v. 5)” “I am an apostle, but I don’t want to make full use of my rights. (v. 18)” “I am free from all, but I want to be a servant for all. (v. 19)” A steward mindset.

Self-Control: “An Olympic Mindset”

The second mindset we can learn from Paul is an Olympic mindset. In verse 25 Paul says, “Athletes exercise self-control in all things… So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified.” It’s so much easier for a Christian to stay in the church, stay in the comfort zone instead of staying in the world. It takes a lot of work and intentional focus to know our neighbors and the broader culture – to know their struggles, their hopes, their questions. It requires discipline. That’s why Paul compares it to the rigorous training. We need an Olympic mindset.

To cultivate an Olympic mindset, walking can be a great start. Gracy Olmstead describes walking as “a ritual of love”: “Walking is a slow and porous experience… To walk is also to be vulnerable: it forces us into physical interaction with surrounding streets, homes, and people. This can delay us, annoy us, even put us in danger. But it connects us to community in a way that cars never can.”[ii] While Jesus was here on earth, he always walked at 3 miles per hour. Jesus walked 3 miles per hour to see a Samaritan woman – her pain and brokenness. Jesus walked 3 miles per hour to see Zacchaeus – his loneliness and thirst. Jesus walked 3 miles per hour to touch the sick, to chat with widows, and to meet children. We never see Jesus running anywhere. But he was able to say on the cross: “It is finished!” Jesus redeemed the entire world at three miles per hour. There are hurting people all around us. Now is the time to slow down enough to walk along with them from where they are at 3 miles per hour.

Recently, I read an article about how the Amish community puts faith in God’s will and herd immunity over vaccine. In Ohio’s Holmes County, home to the nation’s largest concentration of Amish, just 14 percent of the county’s overall population is fully vaccinated. The Amish often rely on family tradition and advice from church leaders, and a core part of their Christian faith is accepting God’s will in times of illness or death. Most now say they have already had the virus and believe their communities have reached herd immunity. So they don’t see a need to get vaccinated. For example, Mark Raber, who is Amish in Daviess County, Indiana, said, “As long as everything stays the same, I don’t think I’ll get it.”[iii]

It’s not just the Amish story. It is our story. There is a lot of confusion, hesitancy, misinformation, and distrust among us. And it’s so politically charged. In this case what won’t work is bombarding people with statistics and confrontation. What we need is to walk along with them, listen to them, and build trusting relationships. If we get vaccinated, we do it in order to love our neighbors. If we wear mask, we do it in order to love our neighbors. If we read the news, we do it in order to love our neighbors. Love is our aim. May our faith be deep enough to stand firm in Christ no matter what. May our love be wide enough to reach a wide range of people and lead them to Christ. Amen.

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[i] Adapted from Edwin H. Friedman, Friedmans Fables (New York: Guilford, 1990), 9–13.

[ii] Bilbro, Jeffrey. Reading the Times (p. 167). InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition.

[iii] John Seewer, “Amish put faith in God’s will and herd immunity over vaccine,” Christian Century (July 12, 2021)

“Just As You Are” (1 Corinthians 7:17-24)

You Are the Beloved

What does the Bible say about who you are? Who are you according to God’s word? If we summarize who the Bible says you are in one word, it would be “beloved.” You and I are God’s beloved. We know this is true from the story of the baptism of Jesus of Nazareth. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my Son, the Beloved. I am well pleased with you!” (Matt. 3:16–17; Mark 1:10–11; Luke 3:21–22). After this, Jesus was immediately driven out into the wilderness by the Spirit. There he was tempted by Satan. When Satan tempted Jesus, three times he began by saying, “If you are the Son of God.” Here the tempter was saying, “If you are the Son of God, prove it. Do something relevant, spectacular, or powerful, and then you will be loved and accepted.” But we must remember even before Jesus started his ministry, God already said to him, “You are the Beloved just as you are.”

We live in a world filled with voices that shout: “You are no good, you are not enough, you are ugly, you are worthless, you are nobody.” We hear loud voices saying, “Prove that you are worth something; do something special, spectacular, or powerful, and then you will earn the love you so desire.” But God says to us three times through today’s scripture, “You are the beloved just as you are.”

“However that may be, let each of you lead the life that the Lord has assigned, to which God called you” (v. 17)

“Let each of you remain in the condition in which you were called” (v. 20)

“In whatever condition you were called, brothers and sisters, there remain with God” (v. 24)

You don’t have to prove that you are worth something. You don’t have to do something or change something to earn God’s favor. You are the beloved just as you are. But oftentimes, we don’t feel like we are the beloved. To help us to remember our identity in Christ everyday, Jesus used daily bread as a remembrance. On the night when Jesus was betrayed, he took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to his disciples. These four words – “take,” “bless,” “break,” and “give” – summarize the life of Jesus and also our life as a Christian, because we are called to become bread for the world. As a Christian, we are taken, blessed, broken, and given. These four words encourage us to live out our identity – the beloved of God.

Taken

First, we are taken. Another word for “taken” would be “chosen.” We are chosen, we are called, we are invited. 1 Peter 2:9 says, “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” Some of us in this room may feel like we are nothing special. No reason to be chosen. But God’s ways are different from ours. When God chose Israel to be his people, he said to them through Moses, “The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the LORD loves you…” (Deut 7:7-8a NKJV). God just loves you, so you are chosen. Not in spite of our weakness, but because of it, we are chosen. Every time you don’t feel like you are chosen, remember how God chose Israel. Remember how Jesus chose his disciples.

Blessed

As the beloved children of God, we are chosen, and we are blessed. God is determined to bless his people. Balak summons Balaam to curse Israel. But God turns every curse into a blessing three times when Balaam opened his mouth to prophesy. Then Balaam realizes that God is determined to bless Israel (Numbers 22-24). God is determined to bless you and me.

Henri Nouwen once shared how he was deeply moved by witnessing a bar mitzvah (coming-of-age) – most of all by the parents’ blessing. The father said to the son something like this: “Son, whatever will happen to you in your life, whether you will have success or not, become important or not, will be healthy or not, always remember how much your mother and I love you” (Life of the Beloved, 67-68). That’s how our heavenly father blesses us. When we come to a quiet place to pray, we can listen to the blessing. For me personally, God’s blessings have delivered me out of many pits of despair. When I was so discouraged in my early years of ministry, the voice said, “Don’t be afraid. Keep doing it. I have many people in this city.” When I was about to give up preaching, the voice said, “Keep on speaking. You are little, but you are a mighty warrior.” When I hit the bottom and didn’t know what to do next, the voice said, “You are called. Abide.” God is determined to bless you if you are willing to listen. We are chosen, and we are blessed.

Broken

Thirdly, we are broken. I am a broken person, and you are a broken person. What we learn from the Bible is that the leaders and prophets of Israel, who were clearly chosen and blessed, all lived very broken lives. And we, the beloved children of God, cannot escape our brokenness either. What matters is how we respond to our brokenness. We can either face it or deny it. We can either take a step toward it or take a step away from it. When we choose to face it, confess it, embrace it, healing begins.

A friend of mine used to work for AA (Alcoholics Anonymous). I was impressed by how they introduced themselves. In the meeting there are diverse people who are in the different stages of addiction. Some are serious, and others are not. But every member must introduce themselves in the same way: “Hello, everyone. My name is Victor, and I am an alcoholic.” There is no exception. Even though I quit drinking for a decade, still I have to introduce myself. “My name is Victor, and I am an alcoholic.” The first step to healing is to confess, “I am broken.” Jesus said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners” (Mark 2:17, NRSV). There is hope for those who say, “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

Given

We are chosen, blessed, and broken so as to be given. As the beloved children of God, we are chosen, blessed, and broken not simply for our own sakes, but so that we may be given to others. When God chose and blessed Abraham, he said to him, “I will bless you, and you will be a blessing to others. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you” (Gen 12:2-3).

Some of us might feel that there is not much to offer to others. But no matter which stage of life we are at, we have something to give. The other day I had a chance to visit Ed and Priscilla Clark. They both fell at different times. Ed is now at Stillwater Rehab, and Priscilla at Eastern Maine. I heard from their daughter that the day when Priscilla had surgery, somehow Ed got the news. He called every hospital and finally got hold of Priscilla. Ed said to Priscilla, “I am so concerned about you. I miss you. And I love you.” Priscilla replied back, “I love you too. I think we are set.” (Ed broke his left hip, and Priscilla her right one) As I was listening to the story and visiting each of them, they taught me what’s most important in life. I felt inspired, blessed, honored to be part of their life journey. Friends, we are given to each other. And each of us has something to give.

Jesus and I

The story of the five loaves and two fish echoes the same truth. When Jesus saw a great crowd, he was moved with compassion. And he began to teach them many things. When it grew late, his disciples asked him to send them away. But Jesus said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They found one boy who was willing to share what he had, five loaves and two fish. By faith the boy brought what he had to Jesus. He had no idea what Jesus would do with it. But he had simple faith that Jesus would do something with it. Once one of my colleagues encouraged me to put the boy’s shoes on and asked me this question. She said, “Have you ever thought how the boy would tell the story to his parents later?” Do you think he would simply say, “Mom, Dad, today Jesus fed the 5,000?” Probably not! He would say with excitement, “Mom and dad, today Jesus and I together did feed thousands of people!”

We don’t need to be young, healthy, strong, rich to be happy. Just as we are, just as we are called, we are the beloved of God. What we need is simple faith – the faith enough to be open to his invitation. God is already and always at work in our lives, and he invites us to join him in his work. May we say “yes” to his invitation today. As the beloved children of God, may we be taken, blessed, broken, and given to others. And our heavenly Father will get the glory. Amen.

 

“Glorify God in Your Life” (1 Corinthians 6:12-20)

Post-Pandemic Church

After the pandemic Americans are not the same. The church can’t be either. The Barna Research Group found that a third of practicing Christians had dropped out of church at some point and 29 percent of senior pastors said they “seriously considered” quitting in the past year. According to the Pew Research Center, during the first months of the year, fewer than half of regular churchgoers in the US made it to an in-person service, though more than three-quarters said their churches had reopened. Across the country, the churches and their leaders have ushered weary congregants through virtual worship setups, lonely hospital stays, funerals, strained marriages, mental health struggles, job losses, intense political tensions, racial trauma, and relentless debates over pandemic precautions. Today we, as a church, still carry the burden of trauma and divides built up over more than a year.

Although it’s a challenging and disturbing time for the church, it can be also a great opportunity for us to live up to our calling and to glorify God in our suffering. At the end of today’s passage 1 Corinthians 6:20 says, “You were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.” As we navigate next steps in the midst of the pandemic, how may we bring healing and help people to go forward and look forward instead of going back? How can we?

Choose Love

Today’s scripture gives us two guidelines. The first one is, “Choose to be loving, rather than to be right.” Paul says, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are beneficial” (v. 12). In other words, don’t ask, “What is right?” “What do I have to do?” Instead ask, “What is love?” “What is the most loving thing for me to do in this situation?”

In Corinthian church there was a dispute. Paul had to face the unpleasant issue of one Christian going to court against another one. Paul’s advice is like this, “If you must go to law against another Christian, allow the church to choose people who are godly and competent to try cases” (vv. 2-6). Then, he gives an even more challenging advice that it would be better that Christians didn’t go to law against one another at all (vv. 7-8). Eugene Peterson’s Message Bible interprets these verses as follows:

These court cases are an ugly blot on your community. Wouldn't it be far better to just take it, to let yourselves be wronged and forget it? All you're doing is providing fuel for more wrong, more injustice, bringing more hurt to the people of your own spiritual family (vv. 7-8).

Here the point of Paul’s message is to choose love instead of being right. We can be right all the time and still be a horrible human being. We can “win” an argument and push people further away from Jesus. I share this from my own experience. When I was a sophomore in high school, there was one classmate who was very critical of Christianity. Since I was a pastor’s kid, I took it personally. One day he and I entered into intense debate, and I won an argument. But the result was that I pushed him further away from the church. Yes we can be right and show the opposite of God’s love for them. And we can do that in Jesus’ name.

 

We don’t have to choose love at the cost of truth. Truth and love can go together. Truth and love must go together, because Christian love rejoices in the truth (1 Cor 13:6). I think Dan Cathy, the president of Chick-fil-A, can be a good example. He believes marriage is designed for a man and a woman. Because of his stance, his business was boycotted by many. In response to the boycott, scores of Cathy’s supporters rallied for “Chick-fill-A Appreciation Day,” buying millions of chicken sandwiches in a show of solidarity – a protest against the protest. Dan Cathy did not personally affirm or join in the protest against the protest. Instead, he quietly reached out to one of this strongest critics, gay activist Shane Windmeyer, who eventually shared these words in the Huffington Post[i]:

Never once did Dan or anyone from Chick-fil-A ask for Campus Pride to stop protesting Chick-fil-A. On the contrary, Dan listened intently to our concerns and . . . [he] sought first to understand, not to be understood. . . . Dan and I shared respectful, enduring communication and built trust. His demeanor has always been one of kindness and openness. . . . Dan expressed regret and genuine sadness when he heard of people being treated unkindly in the name of Chick-fil-A—but he offered no apologies for his genuine beliefs about marriage.

Compassion without compromise. Love and truth. At the same time. In this weary and divided world we can glorify God as we choose to be loving rather than to be right.

Choose Freedom

The second guideline from today’s scripture is, “Choose freedom in Christ.” Paul says in 6:12, “All things are lawful for me, but I will not be enslaved by anything” (ESV). In other words, don’t ask, “Am I permitted to do this?” Instead ask, “Am I a slave to this act?” “Is this food or drink or sex or hobby or work or money becoming my master instead of my servant?”

In our culture many believe that freedom is to be able to do whatever we want. Freedom is the ability to adopt any lifestyle that we like, to choose any sexual partner, to escape any obligation. The more choices we have, the freer we are assumed to be. Some in Corinthian church believed they can eat and drink and have sex any way they like because the body is morally irrelevant. They believed the body will be destroyed in the end. For them, what matters is what they know and think and believe (8:1-3). But Paul proclaims the truth by the Spirit, “The body is for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. The body is not just going to be destroyed; it is going to be raised. The body is not morally indifferent. It is for the glory of God. So glorify God in your body.”

How can we glorify God in our body? We can glorify God by not being enslaved by anything (negatively), by choosing freedom in Christ (positively). The Bible says we were all slaves to sin, the root of which is self-centeredness. But Christ Jesus set us free from the dark prison of our own self-centeredness. Not only that, but Jesus gave us freedom to be our true selves. John Stott rightly said, “True freedom is the ability to be who we are made to be — people made to love God and to love others.” 

Just as love and truth go together, so love and freedom must go together. Christian freedom must be guided by Christian love. In 8:1 Paul says, “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.” Some Christians in Corinth used to eat any food, including food offered to idols, because they knew that an idol is nothing at all and that there is no God but one. They had that knowledge. But the thing is because of that, some who didn’t have that knowledge saw them eat food scarified to idols and thought of it as the worship of real gods, and their weak consciences were violated. So Paul said to the church, “You must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble” (8:9 NLT). Then, he concluded this way, “So if what I eat causes another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live – for I don't want to cause another believer to stumble” (v. 13). We are free when we live under the lordship of Christ. We are free when we see ourselves as servants of others. And we glorify God as we choose freedom guided and shaped by agape love.

Perfect in Love

God is glorified when we savor his love and freely serve others. Probably many of you know the hymn, “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” written by Isaac Watts. Charles Wesley said that he would give up all the hymns he had penned if he could have written this hymn. In this great hymn Isaac Watts invites us to join him at the foot of the cross and witness the pain and shock of Jesus’ death:

“See, from his head, his hands, his feet,

sorrow and love flow mingled down.

Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,

or thorns compose so rich a crown?”

For us who were cleansed and forgiven, who were set free from fear, self, and addiction, who were given freedom and power to live a new life of love and service by the blood of Jesus, this Calvary story becomes so real, so powerful, so personal, so transforming, and we cannot but join Isaac Watts in singing:

“Were the whole realm of nature mine,

that were an offering far too small;

love so amazing, so divine,

demands my soul, my life, my all.”

We just want to love God, give ourselves to God and in service to others with undivided heart. John Wesley calls it “Christian perfection.” It doesn’t mean sinless perfection. But it does mean perfect in love – the heart undivided in its love for God and others. Let me give you an illustration. Robert Coleman, my seminary professor, once shared his story. He was working in the garden on a hot summer day, and sweat was pouring off his body. His little son saw him working hard outside, and decided to bring him a glass of water. He went down to the kitchen, pulled up a stool, and managed to reach up to sink. He picked up a dirty glass laying in the sink, filled with lukewarm water, and brought it out to his dad. Robert commented, “The glass was dirty, and the water warm, but it was brought to me in perfect love.”  

Our life might be broken and stained with all kinds of sins like dirty glass, and our best efforts like lukewarm water. But when we bring it to the Lord with love, he takes it, and calls it “perfect love.” The difficult times and issues we have to face as a church are ahead of us – different political visions, racial justice, human sexuality, just to name a few. But as Christians, as we choose to be loving and kind and to freely love and serve others, people will see it and ask, “Why are Christians so loving? They are different. I want what they have.” They will be drawn to God, and God will be glorified in our lives. Amen.

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[i] Scott Sauls, Jesus Outside the Lines: A Way Forward for Those Who Are Tired of Taking Sides (Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.), Kindle Edition. Location 386 of 3622.

“For You, With You” (1 Corinthians 5:1-8)

Where Is God in All This?

When have you felt closest to God? It was July 2^nd, 2021. It was my mother’s birthday. My family and I were still on vacation, staying overnight in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. We were about to head off to Washington D.C. Joyce and I planned out what we would do that day – when to go, what to see, where to eat and so on. We were kind of in a hurry. In the hotel parking lot Joyce didn’t see me coming toward the car and pressed the button to shut the trunk and left. I bumped my head against the trunk, then I saw the blood coming down on my head. Eventually, I was taken to the emergency room by ambulance. I had to have my forehead stitched. It all happened so quickly. As I was lying down on the bed, waiting for a doctor, I said to God, “Why today? Why now? Why is this happening to me?” Our whole plan was ruined. Joyce and I had to wait in the ER for hours, and my family in the hotel lobby for hours. I was upset and frustrated. The accident had exhausted my family and me physically and emotionally. The plans changed. We had felt like we knew what we were doing before, and now we felt uncertain and vulnerable. But by God’s grace we got through the day. We safely arrived at our new place in Washington D.C. It was a rough day for everyone, but at the end of the day we felt that we got nothing that we had planned for but everything that we had hoped for. And most importantly, we felt closer to God and to each other.

Corinthian Church

I share this because today’s scripture asks the same question: When have you felt closest to God? The situation in Corinth is that a man is having sexual relations with his step mother. Verse 1: “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not found even among pagans; for a man is living with his father’s wife.” An even worse problem is the church’s reaction to this affair. Instead of grieving over sin in their midst, they were tolerant, unrepentant, and proud. Verse 2: “And you are arrogant! Should you not rather have mourned, so that he who has done this would have been removed from among you?” The Corinthian church had no remorse, no repentance, no fleeing from this immorality. Then, what is God’s cure for this? And what should we do?

Handing Someone over to Satan?

By the Holy Spirit the apostle Paul says this way:

For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present I have already pronounced judgment in the name of the Lord Jesus on the man who has done such a thing. When you are assembled, and my spirit is present with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. (vv. 3-5, NRSV)

From this passage we learn the following truth: God can use Satan to sanctify his people. But here, what does it mean to hand someone over to Satan? In the book of Job these very things actually happened and these very words occurred. Job 2:6 says, “And the Lord said to Satan, ‘Behold I hand him [Job] over to you. Only spare his life.” The next verse says, "So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and inflicted loathsome sores on Job from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head." And what is the purpose of Job’s suffering? What is the result of God’s gracious purpose? Job 42:5-6: “I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” In this story under his sovereign control God even uses Satan as the means to sanctify Job and to bring him closer than ever to him.

Another good example would be Paul. Paul describes his thorn in the flesh as a messenger of Satan. In 2 Corinthians 12:7 Paul says, “So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited” (ESV). Three times Paul pleaded with the Lord to take it away from him. But the answer he got was, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Who is in control of whether the messenger of Satan stays or goes? Christ Jesus the Lord! And what is the purpose of handing Paul over to the messenger of Satan? To help him stay close to Christ and bring him even closer to Christ. God can use Satan to sanctify his people.

This past week I read an article about how the Nigerian school girls stood their ground. In 2014 nearly 300 Nigerian secondary school girls were kidnapped by a terrorist group called Boko Haram. These young women had endured three years of captivity. They were pressured daily to marry fighters and embrace Boko Haram’s creed in return for better food, shelter, clothing, and soap. More than 100 refused, holding on to their Christian faith. Repeatedly they were told their parents were dead, their places of worship were torched, and their community was now flying Boko Haram’s flag. But these women stood their ground. They took turns renouncing food for a few days to have a spiritual energy. They secretly gathered to pray. They whispered hymns. They memorized the Book of Job from a smuggled Bible. Naomi Adamu, who was one of the oldest captives, said later, “We put our fate in the hands of God.” Again, in this story God uses Satan to sanctify his people.

If God can use Satan, he can use anything, good or bad, to restore, sanctify, and bring his people closer to him. It could be an accident. It could be an illness. It could be a relationship crisis. Whatever it is, God’s aim is to save us and sanctify us.

God Is For You and With You

Whenever we face trials of any kind, it’s important to remember that God is for us, not against us. Hebrews 12:7-10 says, “Endure trials for the sake of discipline… he [God] disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share his holiness.” Timothy Keller rightly said, “Suffering is unbearable if you aren’t certain that God is for you and with you.” In today’s passage Paul gives a clear reason why we must never grow weary or lose heart when we are chastised: “Clean out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch, as you really are unleavened. For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed” (v. 7). At the foundation of the discipline is the love of Christ Jesus, our Passover Lamb.

Israel had been in bondage in Egypt for more than 430 years. The Israelites cried out to God. God heard their groaning, God looked upon the Israelites, and God understood (Ex 2:24-25). Then, God sends Moses to save his people. By the power of God’s Spirit Moses brings ten plagues to stubborn Pharaoh and his people. The final plague is that every firstborn in the land will die. The head of every household is commanded to take a male lamb that is one-year-old. At twilight, the lamb for each household is to be killed. The Lord then reveals what the Israelites are to do with the slain lambs and why they are to do it. Each head of a household is to take the blood of the lamb and put it on the doorposts and lintel of his house. God explains that the blood will be a sign. When He sees the blood on the door, He will pass over that house, and the firstborn in it will be spared from the coming judgment. Here the passover lamb has to be without any blemishes. This substitutionary lamb foreshadows the true Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, who was without blemish (cf. 1 Peter 1:19). He was bound, so we could be whole and free. He was whipped so we could be healed. He was slain and shed his blood so we could have life.

When troubles come our way, if we focus on “why” questions (Why now? Why me?), we will be lost. But if we focus on “who God is,” we will be saved. Job asked God many “why” questions when he was in distress. But when God appeared to him, he didn’t answer those questions. Instead, God simply revealed Job who He is. The result? Job said, “But now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”

When the Nigerian girls were in captivity, they transcribed paraphrase of Psalm 22 and prayed: “Oh my God I keep calling by day and You do not answer. And by night. And there is no silence on my part” (v. 2). Psalm 22 is a psalm of David. But David wrote this prayer by the Spirit to prophesy the passion of Christ. Verse 14: “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast.” All these things actually happened to Jesus on the cross. But that’s not the end. David continues to prophesy, “All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him” (v. 27).

Christ Jesus became our Passover Lamb and has gone before us. Brothers and sisters in Christ, God is for us and with us. And if God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us, is there anything he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? Who will separate us from the love of Christ? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture. Absolutely nothing can separate us from God’s love that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. We are the beloved children of God. So let us trust God and stand our ground.

 

 

 

“Follow Me” (1 Corinthians 4:14-21)

Christian Character

May 16, 2021 is the day my grandfather passed away. During his funeral service, the pastor preached the word based on today’s scripture (v. 16) and 1 Corinthians 11:1: “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (NKJV). After reading the scripture, the pastor said about my grandfather something like this, “I am not sure how many Christians are able to say it with confidence like Paul did. But I know pastor Whang is one of the few that could say that.” Indeed, my grandfather lived a life of "congruence" - congruence between preaching and living, congruence what is on the inside and what is lived on the outside. He was a good husband, a good father, a good pastor and most of all he was a good Christian. He is my hero I want to imitate.

 

There is one more person whose example I want to follow – my father. When I think about my dad, the first word that comes to my mind is “faithfulness.” He was always there for his family, he was always there for his church, he was always there for me. Surely he reflects God’s faithfulness through his life. Both my grandfather and my father are good preachers. But it was not only their preaching that helped me grow in faith, it was their Christian character that deeply touched me and shaped me.

 

When we think about the Apostle Paul, a great portion of his life was to simply persevere. He had to hang in there in prison for about five years during his ministry. He endured many hardships and sufferings. In today’s scripture Paul said he was ridiculed, hungry, thirsty, homeless. He was brutally treated like dirt (vv. 11-13). Paul was well aware that our spiritual battle is not much about aggressive attack but faithful defense. So he says to the Corinthians, “It is required of stewards that they be found faithful” (v. 2). And he continues, “I urge you, imitate me” (v. 16).

 

Corinthian Church

To have a better understanding of where Paul is coming from, it’s important to understand some of the Corinthian church background. Corinth was a Greek city and had many very intelligent citizens. It was a commercial seaport. It had its academics and the places where they discussed philosophy and tried to understand the problems of life and of living. Paul had been there and had preached the Gospel, and a church had been established. But then, Paul had to move on to preach the good news to the unreached in other places. In the meantime, certain people came in and started to criticize Paul and to challenge his apostleship. They were experts in Greek rhetoric, language, and philosophy. They said, “Paul’s presence is weak,” “His manner of speaking is not eloquent,” “His teaching is so simple and childish.” Paul’s answer to them is this: “I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. For the kingdom of God depends not on talk but on power” (vv. 19-20)

 

Power

Christianity is a power! Where there is the kingdom of God, God’s reign, God’s rule, there is a power. When Paul says the kingdom of God is in power, he is speaking it from his own experience. On the way to Damascus he encountered the risen Christ, saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It hurts you to kick against the goads” (Acts 26:14). That day Paul experienced the power of God – power to bring a conviction of sin, power to open the eyes of his heart, power to give him new life and new heart. In today’s scripture Paul says, “When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we speak kindly” (v. 12b-13a). This is the power of God – power to overcome evil with good, power to face trials and tribulations in life, power to persevere. This power is the supernatural work of God. With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible!

 

William Temple used to illustrate the point in this way. It is no good giving me a play like Hamlet or King Lear, and telling me to write a new play just like it. Shakespeare could do it; I can’t. And it is no good showing me a life like the life of Jesus and telling me to live a life just like it. Jesus could do it; I can’t. But if the genius of Shakespeare could come and live inside me, I would then be able to write plays like he did. And if the Spirit of Jesus could come and live inside me, I would then be able to live a life like he did. Christianity is not about trying harder to become more like Jesus. But it is about allowing him, by the power of his Spirit, to come and change us from the inside. The kingdom of God is not a matter of mere talk, but it’s an empowered life.

 

 

Our Part

Although an empowered life is all God’s work, we must be sensitive and obedient to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Let me share the story of Pyongyang Great Revival in Korea back in 1907. At that time, along with other missionaries, Pastor Gil Sun-Joo was a leader of the Korean church. In January 1907, new year’s prayer meeting was held. Although many people came for the meeting (1500), Pastor Gil felt like something hinders the work of God. He felt like the whole church was covered and suppressed. But he didn’t know what it was. He even rebuked his congregation to repent. But nothing happened. While he was praying, the Holy Spirit convicted of his unconfessed sin. In fact, he had promised his dying friend to look after his estate because his wife was unable to, but in the process he had taken one hundred dollars for himself. Thankfully, Pastor Gil obeyed the promptings of the Holy Spirit. In front of 1,500 people he confessed his sin of Achan. The next day he gave the money back. Then the revival began.  After that, the prayer turned to weeping. Missionary Graham Lee wrote: ‘Man after man would rise, confess his sins, break down and weep, and then throw himself to the floor and beat the floor with his fists in perfect agony of conviction.’ Another missionary Jonathan Goforth wrote: ‘Day after day the people assembled now and always it was manifest that the Refiner was in His temple’ Writing about Pastor Gil’s confession he wrote: “It hindered the Almighty God while it remained covered, and it glorified Him as soon as it was uncovered; and so with rare exceptions did all the confessions in Korea that year.” Soon Pyongyang became known as the “Jerusalem of the East.” 

 

The kingdom of God is a power – power to cleanse us, power to bring a conviction of sin, power to lead us to repentance, power to draw us closer to God. Have you had the similar experience that Pastor Gil had – convicted by the Holy Spirit? I do. When I came to the US in 2006, I had my own plan. It was to earn a doctoral degree as soon as possible and become a pastor of a large church. So it was very important for me to get good grades. I studied very hard and was able to earn good GPA. One day the Holy Spirit convicted my sin. He reminded me that I had submitted the reading reports of some of the classes not in good conscience. Although the reading report instruction says, “Skimming is not counted as reading,” I had just skimmed through part of the required readings in a hurry but checked them off as 100% completion. I had good grades. Not only that, I borrowed other people’s ideas and pretended that it was mine. But the Holy Spirit exposed all my sins – plagiarism, dishonesty, and ambition deep in my heart. I knew what was right thing to do. But I struggled for several days. I was afraid that I might be expelled from seminary. Then, I heard the voice saying, “I can use you without degree, but I cannot use you if you are not clean.” So finally, I confessed my sins before my professors, some of my friends and students, and my church family. Thankfully, I was not expelled. But the grades of the four classes were significantly reduced. And it became very difficult for me to pursue further study. But instead, God restored to me the joy of my salvation. I was able to see God once again.

 

Follow Me

The kingdom of God is not in talk but in power. Paul has known this power – power even to look into the face of death and to smile at it. He says to Timothy, his spiritual son, “I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:6-8)

 

Have you known all this? Have you known the power to turn from darkness to light, from the kingdom of Satan to God? Have you known the power to give you blessed assurance and to cry out to God, “Abba Father”? Have you known the power to believe, to understand, to rejoice in His Word and to say, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes”? If you have, I don’t need to exhort you to praise God. If you have not, then go to Him, seek his face humbly and cry, “Have mercy on me a sinner.” “Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near” (Isa 55:6).

 

Now is the time. Today is the day of salvation. My prayer is that all of us in this room may believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ, know the power of God, be transformed and found faithful to the end, and that we may be able to say to our spiritual children at the end of our life, “See, I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Imitate me, and follow me.” Amen.

 

“Building Below the Waterline” (1 Corinthians 3:10-15)

Tale of the Sea

In his book The Life God Blesses, Gordon MacDonald shares a story about a popular American yachtsman. In 1992 Michael Plant commenced a solo crossing of the North Atlantic Ocean from the United States to France. But after two weeks of the voyage Michael Plant and his sailboat were lost at sea. Many people were puzzled by the news because Mr. Plant’s seafaring skills were without equal and his sailboat, the Coyote, was state of the art. Everyone in the sailing world knows sailboats do not capsize normally. They are built to take the most vigorous pounding a sea can offer. They are built to have more weight below the waterline than there is above it. But when the Coyote was found, it was upside down in the water. So what happened? When the Coyote was built, an 8,000-pound weight was bolted to the keel. No one knows why or how, but when the Coyote was found, the 8,000-pound weight below the waterline was simply missing. No weight below the waterline to ensure stability. The result? A very capable, experienced, and much admired man lost at sea. 

The Foundation

Some of you may wonder why I share this tale of the sea. But if we really ponder this story, we can find some parallel between today’s passage and the story of Michael Plant. In some sense the Corinthian Christians were like the man who spends his years building up the rigging, the sails, and the mast of life. The good life: it’s all there to be admired and enjoyed. But all this frantic building was done above the waterline. So it’s good only as long as there were no storms. But storms happen. When storms came, the Corinthian church was torn apart. They were divided, they sued each other, they judged harshly one another. But these crises, called disruptive moments, were in fact the signs that God cared for them. Disruptive moments in life can be a blessing in disguise because they disclose what is at the bottom. They reveal what is at the foundation.

In his book Who Speaks for God?, Charles Colson comments on a question asked him by an interviewer: “Mr. Colson, you are an unusual person. You have conquered the pinnacles of secular success. The goals most people strive their whole lives for, you have achieved—only to see it all collapse as you fell from the White House to prison. But now you’re out, leading a new life as a Christian. It’s like having lived two lives. How would you sum up the meaning of those two lives?” Colson answered, “I had spent my first 40 years seeking the whole world, to the neglect of my soul. But what I couldn’t find in my quest for power and success—that is, true security and meaning—I discovered in prison, where all worldly props had been stripped away. And by God’s grace, I lost my life in order that I might find true life in Christ.” This past week I was surprised by the news of my mentor’s retirement. I was even more surprised by the news of the successor who happens to be my age. It was kind of a disruptive moment. The news made me ponder and ask myself, “Where am I? Am I on the right track? Where am I headed?”

The Day

Disruptive moments in life can vary from a cancer diagnosis to the death of someone we dearly love. Some of them are universal experiences, and others are unique ones. Aging is one of the disruptive moments for everyone. I always remember the question asked by one of my mentors: “What kind of an old man do you want to be?” This question is a waterline question: “What are you building below the waterline?” “What are you building your life on?” This question has to do with character, personality, and a style of being. My mentor said that he had known a lot of old men, but the list of those whom he might want to be like was alarmingly short. It could be counted on the fingers of one hand. As we get older, we may be tempted to live in the past. But here and there the aging process (the process of letting go of power and control) can help us to look beneath the waterline. The aging process can help us to get to the bottom and ask ourselves: “How may I live with the end in mind?”

I would like to invite us to stop for a moment and imagine our own funeral. So now imagine the people closest in your life – your family, your friends, your coworkers, and your church family members – speaking at your funeral about your life. How would like to be remembered? What would you want them to say? What character would you like them to have seen in you? When the Corinthians were so self-centered, narrow minded, suffering from division and dissention, Paul invited them to look at things from an eternal perspective:

“What then is Apollos? What is Paul?... I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth… I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it… the work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done” (vv. 5-6, 10, 13).

So live with the end in mind.

Today

The beginning, the foundation, is Jesus Christ. And the end, the Day, is coming. Then in between, how should we live today? In verse 12 Paul says, “Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials – gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw” (NLT). In other words, we must take particular care in what we build on the foundation with. One day Jesus told a parable. There was a rich man who has enjoyed a prosperous harvest and is overwhelmed with profits. His remarkable prosperity offers a problem. There is no place to store his crops. His solution? He chooses to build above the waterline. He builds more barns to store the stuff and says to himself, “Relax, eat, drink, and be merry.” But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” (Luke 19:20)

In today’s scripture Paul says, “If you think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God” (vv. 18-19a). Jim Elliot, who was martyred in Ecuador, echoes this truth, saying, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” To the Corinthians, and to us, Paul says, “Do not boast about human leaders” (v. 21). We may paraphrase it this way: “Do not boast about things above the waterline – your wealth, your health, your career, your education. They soon shall pass. Rather, get to the bottom and build your life on the one and only foundation, that is, Jesus Christ. Build below the waterline.”

Building Below the Waterline

Then lastly, what does “building below the waterline” look like in our Christian life? Henri Nouwen rightly said, “The way of the Christian leader is not the way of upward mobility in which the world has invested so much, but the way of downward mobility ending on the cross… It is not a leadership of power and control, but a leadership of powerlessness and humility in which the suffering servant of God, Jesus Christ, is made manifest.” The way up is the way down. 

Let me give you an illustration. It’s a story about a missionary to Dutch New Guinea. One day the missionary decided to plant some pineapples (100 plants). They were rare and valuable to the natives. It took about three years to yield pineapples. He couldn’t wait! However, when the pineapples got ripe, the missionary couple didn’t get anything. The natives stole every one! The missionary god mad. “No pineapples, no clinic!” he said. The natives kept begging. He couldn’t stand and had to reopen. But when the missionary couple reopened the clinic, the natives started stealing the pineapples again. He felt bad again! This time he cut out the trade store instead. But it didn’t work. So this time he brought a German Shepherd. It did work for the time being. But the problem was that the natives went back to their jungle houses. They didn’t come. He didn’t have a chance to tell about Jesus and learn their language.

One Sunday the missionary attended a church service and heard a lesson, “We must give everything we own to God.” After the service, he went out to his pineapple garden. He prayed, “Lord, see these pineapple bushes? I have fought to have the fruit from them. I have claimed them as my own. I have stood up for my rights. It is all wrong, and I realize that now. I have to give them all to You. From now on, if You want me to eat any of Your pineapples, fine. If not, then that is fine too. Amen.” The natives kept stealing the pineapples just like before. But he didn’t say anything but just kept praying and trusting God to take care of it His Way. One day they finally came to him and said “Too-wan (foreigner), you have become a Christian, haven’t you? Because you don’t get angry anymore when we steal your pineapples.” He answered, “The pineapples don’t belong to me anymore. I have given the garden to God.” They answered, “To God?” They were afraid that they were stealing from God. And they stopped stealing. Then, the missionary couple was able to enjoy the fresh pineapples! And they shared the pineapples with them. Soon many of the natives decided to become Christians.

What is at the bottom of your life? Let the disruptive moments provide insight and learning. If God speaks to you something through those disruptive moments, listen and turn. Turn from your ways, and turn to God. Build your life on the solid foundation. Live for the Day, live for eternity. Be a fool for Christ, and stay foolish. May the Lord give you wisdom and strength today and bless you with peace. Amen.

“Growing in the Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:14-3:4)

Natural People and Spiritual People

Today’s scripture consists of two parts and contrasts two different pairs of people. In part one, natural people versus spiritual people (2:6-16), and in part two, spiritual Christians versus worldly Christians (3:1-23). We will explore them one by one.

So first, natural people and spiritual people. In 1 Corinthians 2:14 Paul says, “Those who are unspiritual (cf. “natural” – KJV, ESV, NASB) do not receive the gifts of God's Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (NRSV). Then, what is a “natural” person? The word for “natural” is used only one other time in the New Testament, namely, in Jude 19, which says, “These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit” (NASB). From the context, natural people are defined here as people who do not have God’s Spirit, namely, non-Christians. Natural people are simply ordinary people whose hearts and minds are not renewed by the Holy Spirit. Then, what is a “spiritual” person that Paul refers to in verse 15? “Those who are spiritual discern all things, and they are themselves subject to no one else’s scrutiny.” Spiritual people are the ones whose minds and hearts are renewed by the Spirit, namely, Christians.   

Receiving the Gifts of God’s Spirit

Paul says, “Natural people do not receive the gifts of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to them” (v. 14). What are “the gifts of God’s Spirit” here? “The gifts of God’s Spirit” refers to the heart of the Christian message – “the message of the cross”: we are so sinful, so helpless, so lost that Christ had to be crucified to save us. This message of the cross is an insult to natural people and their pride, and simply foolishness to them. Think about the time when you heard the gospel for the first time. Was it easily acceptable? Or were you offended? How were you? Paul says that he is not ashamed of the gospel (Rom 1:16). The word translated “ashamed” also means “offended.” When we take the gospel seriously to heart, it offends our natural human pride. How is the gospel offensive? Regarding this important question, Tim Keller rightly answers in four different ways:[1]

1.     The gospel is insulting to moral and religious people who think their decency gives them an advantage over less moral people, because it tells us that our salvation is free and undeserved. It tells us that we are all such spiritual failures that the only way to gain salvation is for it to be a complete gift.

2.     The gospel offends the modern cult of self-expression and the popular belief in the innate goodness of humanity, because it tells us that Jesus died for us. It tells us that we are so wicked that only the death of the Son of God could save us.

3.     The gospel offends the modern notion that any nice person anywhere can find God “in his own way,” because it tells us that trying to be good and spiritual isn’t enough, thereby insists that no “good” person will be saved, but only those who come to God through Jesus.

4.     The gospel offends people who want salvation to be an easy life; it also offends people who want their lives to be safe and comfortable, because it tells us that our salvation was accomplished by Jesus’ suffering and serving, and that following him means to suffer and serve with him.

If you are among those who believe in the message of the cross and who see God’s beauty, God’s glory, God’s wisdom in the cross of Christ, today’s scripture is given to encourage you to even more rely on Christ, savor him, love him and be thankful for the gift of salvation. But if you are still among those who do not embrace the cross as God’s wisdom and who do not accept the gifts of God’s Spirit, today’s scripture is an urgent invitation for you. Consider this morning what a hopeless condition you are in without Christ. Forsake pride. Look to Jesus, believe in the message of the cross, and be saved.

Spiritual Christians and Worldly Christians

If part one is about Christians and non-Christians, part two is about spiritual (mature) Christians and worldly (infant) Christians. In 1 Corinthians 3:1 Paul says, “And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.” When we believe in the message of the cross, we are born anew – our hearts and minds are renewed by the Holy Spirit. We become Christians. We have the Spirit living in us. Indeed, when Corinthians heard Paul preaching the message of the cross, they believed. They were born anew. They had the Holy Spirit living in them. But sadly, they did not grow. They remained as infants in the Christian life. Why? Because they followed their fallen human nature (selfishness, pride, jealousy, quarreling) rather than followed the Spirit’s leading. The key point here is that all Christians have the Holy Spirit living in them. But only when they yield themselves to the Spirit, they continue to grow and be transformed by the Spirit.

Recently, my children watched the Walt Disney film, tilted Ratatouille. It’s a story about Remy, a young rat who is dying to become a chef, and the restaurant’s new garbage boy, Alfredo Linguini. Remy has cooking talents, and Linguini works at the restaurant. They team up with each other to achieve their goals. The two learn that Remy can guide Linguini's movements like a marionette by pulling on his hair while hiding under his toque. Together they are able to make excellent dishes. I share this because many Christians think that is how the Holy Spirit works in our lives – guiding us like a marionette by whispering in our ear what to do. But Paul says to Corinthians, “No, that is not how the Holy Spirit helps us!” Corinthians wanted to have milk, “soft food,” but not ready for solid food. They wanted to have a quick fix for their problems. But in our Christian life the Holy Spirit does not spare us the hard work of rigorous reflection and discernment. As we pray, the Holy Spirit doesn’t speak to us in an audible voice. Instead, he would make us humble enough to be formed and shaped by God’s word rather than twisting it and using it to justify our agenda. It’s a process – a process of how “solid food” is taken into our Christian life.

Spiritual Disciplines: APTAT

By God’s grace we are saved. By God’s grace we grow. It’s all God’s grace from beginning to end. We cannot add anything to our salvation. But in order to grow spiritually, we must be willing. We must say “yes” to the Spirit. In that respect, it’s God’s work and ours. Here our part is called “spiritual disciplines.” This morning I would like to share one of the spiritual disciplines I have learned from John Piper. It’s called A.P.T.A.T.:

A is admit you can do nothing.

P is pray for the help you need.

T is trust the promise of God to give you what you need in the moment of crisis, or whatever else.

A is act in that faith.
T is, when you’re done, thank him.

I am going to walk through A.P.T.A.T. in relation to my preaching life. But I believe you can easily apply the same principle to your daily unique challenges (ex. Raising strong-willed children, or helping with a family member with mental illness, etc.). A.P.T.A.T. is not a mechanical formula. Rather, it is a lifestyle – all of life. The goal of the A.P.T.A.T. is to cultivate a surrendered heart and mind and will, that we may live by the Spirit and grow until we become like Christ.

Admit. The chief end of preaching is to help people to see Jesus for who he really is and to bring them to Christ. The aim of preaching is humanly impossible. They are only possible in the power of the Holy Spirit. Before I start my sermon preparation, before I step into this pulpit, I admit, “Father, I can’t do any of that.” And I embrace the word of Jesus from John 15:5, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” Lord, I can’t do it. That’s a starting point.

Pray. I come to Jesus and cry out to him, “Lord, help me!” Most of the time I feel some particular burden or challenge or weakness or need at that moment. So I pray for those specific needs and ask for help with that. I pray for self-forgetfulness and humility. I pray for the right words. I pray for joy and boldness. I pray for compassion. I plead, “Lord, give me your heart. Help me to love these people. Help me care about their marriages and their parenting and their jobs and their daily struggles and sufferings. Give me the right words.”

Trust. As I pray, I trust the promises of God to give me what I need, in this case – preaching. One of the habits to help us trust is to draw from a pool of promises and stick with them. So it’s very important to have in our minds Bible verses memorized. In my case there are many times when I feel very unworthy. I feel emotionally distracted. I feel depressed and discouraged before I come into this pulpit. What should I do? I go to God’s promises, and dwell in them. This past week I recited Isaiah 40:31: “But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” I admit. I pray. I trust.

Act. Then, I act in that faith. I preach in the power of the Holy Spirit. When I am done, I rejoice, I rest, I leave it up to God.

Thank. When I go down out of the pulpit, I say, “Thank you for your lifegiving work. Thank you for giving me a heart to preach your word today. Thank you for strengthening, helping, sustaining your people with your promises.” I thank him.

I exhort you to join me in this very precious walk. Let us admit we can do nothing apart from Christ, come to Jesus and pray for help, trust his specific promises in our daily challenges. And let us act in that faith and thank him when we are done. “The one who calls us is faithful, and he will do it” (1 Th 5:24). Amen.

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[1] Timothy Keller, Romans 1-7 For You: For reading, for feeding, for leading (The Good Book Company. 2014), Kindle Locations 217-227 of 2850.