“ The Lord plans for Shalom.” (Philippians 4:4~9)

“ The Lord plans for Shalom.” (Philippians 4:4~9)

  3월30일 것

^{Rejoice in the Lord}

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

 ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with

thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right,

whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or

praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or

heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with

you.

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 Let me ask you this. Why are you here?

What is the reason to be seated here instead of watching TV or do something more productive.

What is the purpose of Christian education?  Gain more knowledge about and study Bible.

The reason we are here today is one thing, Praise the Lord and our savior Jesus Christ.

The reason for Christian education is not gaining more knowledge about Bible but changing our life.

 specifically, transform our life to be like Jesus Christ.

 It is the process to becoming to be like Jesus Christ.

If you ask me “ How to do that?”

 This is my life mission statement. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18,

¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

 As we follow him, we will transform our life to be like Jesus Christ.

 That is goal in our life as Christian.

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What give you joy lately? What bring you ‘Rejoice in your life today?’

Or what are you talking preacher? I am hurting. I got hurt.

 My house is too small.

We live at Fort Drum. I am not near at all to ‘Rejoice.’

 I got nothing to ‘Rejoice about!’ I want to change your attitude about your life.

Rejoice= Greek, chairo= cairete= “be rejoicing”=, to be cheerful, i.e calmly happy or well-off; imperatives, specially as salutation. Be well, farewell, be glad, God speed, greeting, hail, joyful, rejoice, compare: charis= grace.

Philippians is written in the prison. This prison letter generate “Rejoice in the Lord”

If anybody has a right to complain, he has the right to make complaint.

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2 Corinthian 11:24- 30, Paul boasts about his sufferings.

²⁴ Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. ²⁵ Three times I was

beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent

a night and a day in the open sea, ²⁶ I have been constantly on the move. I have been in

danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger

from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in

danger from false believers. ²⁷ I have labored and toiled and have often gone without

sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been

cold and naked. ²⁸ Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for

 

all the churches. ²⁹ Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do

not inwardly burn?³⁰ If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

God will use your short-coming, flaws and issues.

God will use your ego, tears, sorrow, and anger to glorify his name.

Because he is the might God who created heaven and earth.

Let us look up another versus:

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2 Corinthians 12:7- 10.

I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

 ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.

⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in

 weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that

 Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in

 weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am

weak, then I am strong.

Maybe in this world, self-help book say, this is how to cover your short-coming and

 flaws. But, there is freedom in Jesus Christ. Christ Jesus came to us, set us free.

 Free from all of bondage.

 The Bible says, I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in

persecutions, in difficulties. Because, when I am weak, then I am strong.

Let us contextualize into our life.

According to Bible teaching, it says,

 I have to delight in my poor English, people’s insult, hardship, life’s challenge, in

 persecutions, and difficulties in exile life in Watertown. When you are weak, then you

 are strong.  Do you know why?

Because, The God of all mighty is with us. God of Immanuel is with us.

 God of Yahweh is with us in your life. You have to believe that.

So, today Scripture say, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say again, Rejoice.”

This is not Bible say,

 you need to rejoice in your car, house, job, children, living in U.S.

 because, it is just temporary.

 As like lily in the field. It blooms and it will wither very quickly.

As your car, bring you joy.

 It will die out soon.

Your children bring you joy.

 They will bring trouble very soon.

Your job give you satisfaction.

You will get out of that job soon.

Your health give you joy.

 Someday, you will get sick. Eventually, you will die as well.

Bible always, ‘ Rejoice and trial’ goes hand in hand.

Let us look up another versus in Bible.

James 1:2, “ Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of

many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let

perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking

anything.

It is not matter of “ if” but matter of “ when.”

You can guarantee trial in your life. Bible tells us, “Consider it pure joy.”

How do we do that? We need to “Rejoice in the Lord”

Trust in the Lord, he will make your path straight. He will be your sustainer and your life.

 

Let us look up versus 5, ⁵ Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

Paul’s faith is based on Christian eschatology.

He believes that the Lord will come back very soon. ‘at hand’ or ‘ near.’

The major issues and events in Christian eschatology are death and the afterlife, Heaven and

Hell, the Second Coming of Jesus, the Resurrection of the Dead, the Rapture, the Tribulation,

 Millennialism, the end of the world, the Last Judgment, and the New Heaven and New Earth of

the world to come.

 

I believe that the bottom line of eschatology is good and faithful Christian living. Just

 Because we do not know when He comes back, I need to be faithful as Christian life.

Let us look verse, 6-7. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and

petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which

transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Did you lay down your burden at the cross?

Did you lay down your anxiety today at the grace of throne? Or

You are trying to figure it out by yourself?

Bible promise is simple for us. When you pray with thanksgiving,

the peace of God will be with you. The God of peace guards your heart and mind in

Christ Jesus.

Matthew 11:28-31 say,

“²⁸ Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke

upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your

souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

I believe that we need to lay down our burden at the cross every day, every hours.

Let us look, versus 8-9, ⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right,

whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or

praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or

heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with

you.

Bible tells us, we have to do whatever is right for the Lord.

And V.9 say, we have to put it into practice.

We should be ‘ Doer’ of the words not just listener.

God’s promise is when we do, the result is the peace of God will be us wherever you go and whatever you do.

Let me conclude today sermon.

Paul say to us, “ Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say again, Rejoice”

We should not just rejoice in the materials thing, we must rejoice in the Lord.

We should also understand the Lord is coming soon, we have to live worth of the Lord calling.

Whenever you have burden, lay down at the cross to the Lord.

He will give you rest.

And whatever you have heard, learned, seen in Bible, put it into practice.

The peace of God will be with you.

Let us pray.

 by park,yoon soo