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서론)
1. “Commitment of acrobat’ is one of Victor E. Franklin’s short stories. There was a dwarf acrobat, when he got old he could not make money from his talent (acrobat). So a priest from a near church took him and let him live in the church. While living in the church, dwarf acrobat accepted Jesus and he wanted to give something to God. However all he could do was doing stunts but he knew people would judge him if he does that on day time. So, he started to perform his stunt during early morning when no one was in the church. one day, the priest saw the acrobat performing in the church. At the moment when priest decided to give acrobat some hard time, because of doing such a thing in the church a mysterious thing happened. Jesus from the Church sculpture came down from the cross to the dwarf and told him. “You have pleased me, I saw your tears and sweat, I accept your talent as praise.” So between priest and dwarf acrobat who do you think is the real servant of God?
2. ‘Servant’ is a person who performs duties for others, especially a person employed in a house on domestic duties or as a personal attendant. Paul called himself as a servant of church. So to truly understand what is the servant of God we need to know what is church.
What is church? Church is a gathering of people who became children of God and people who share one faith. So servant of church is people who serve god and other Christians.
3. Like Paul in the bible, we can see people with titles should serve others but dominating. All church members are/will be servant of God at some point. So, why becoming servant of God is important? Why God want us to be His servants?
A) To fulfill the word of God.
1. A church member offered a German Grand Piano because the current piano was old. However the current piano was also the offering (20 years ago) from an old deacon. So, the pastor of church called the old deacon and asks if they can remove the piano and install new one. But the old deacon refused to remove the current piano because was the offering has lots of sentimental meaning for him/her. And the old deacon also said “It cannot be removed before I die.” So, the pastor called older pastor for help. Then the old pastor said “There is one way.” The younger pastor asks what the way is. Then the old pastor said “Ask (Pray) God to take the deacon to the sky ASAP.”
The old deacon obviously worked hard for Church but the center of him/her was self-satisfaction. All church workers should put God in their center of mind. Focus on what is better for the church.
2. Even if we do not like it, we have to do things that please God. We have to obey even if it doesn’t fit with our way of thinking.
Paul said in today’s verse 25 “Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God;”
3. We also have to proud of ourselves because God chose us to do his work. The master of church is the Lord. If you serve a church for a long time, even if you are the pastor you are not the owner of church. If you are servant that means you are not the master, without master there is no servant.
B) that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus
Father Abbe Pierre was a famous humanist during the world war 2. When he got old he started the campaign which was build houses for the poor people. During his work, he met a guy who tried to commit suicide because of his unfavorable life circumstances. Father Pierre asked him “I don’t have any money so I cannot help you financially; however, you seems you don’t have any meaning in your life and you don’t want to live so why not help me to build this house?” So the guy helped father Pierre to build the house for poor people. After building a house, the guy was different person, the work that father Pierre gave him and helping people who is worse than him gave life meaning to him. Then the guy told father Pierre “If you gave me money, I would probably tried to kill myself again because what I needed was the meaning of life not the way of life.”
Verse 28 says “Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:” Perfect man represent man with right faith. So workers of church should help others to have right faith by many methods.
C) worketh in me
1. In September 1866, Dae Dong river, Korea was stained with blood, because Korean soldiers attacked U.S trade ship ‘General Sherman’. Every people in the ship got executed. The first missionary to Korea, Robert J. Thomas was among those people. He passed Bibles to Koreans until he died. The people killed him and people who used bible as their house wall paper later became the pioneers of Christianity. The young missionary’s sacrifice changed a country.
2. Verse 29 says. “Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.” We have to serve God voluntarily, if you work forcefully then that is not what God wants you to do. We need to work within the holy sprits words and freedom.
3. A new music teacher was assigned to a middle school and started orchestra. To orchestra to make an okay sound it took at least a year. However the principal of the school forced them to perform before they reach the point when the can play confidently. on the day of the show, the music teacher told the members to pretend to play if there is people who are not confident. At the stage, when teacher started to swing the conducting batons there was no sound. No one was playing. What this story tells us? Even if there are many people of all of them just pretend they cannot make any sound. Same thing in church we need to really work not just pretend, do not wait until other people volunteer, and just do it without hesitation.
Conclusion)
We are the servants of God, even if you don’t have any title, even if you don’t have a name we are the servants of God. We need to work hard for the glory of our God and our church. Believe and see with the faith that when Jesus comes, or when we go to heaven He will rewards us beyond our imaginations. |