God is a Springboard of life.( Philippians 1:3~7)

God is a Springboard of life.( Philippians 1:3~7)

 ³ I thank my God every time I remember you. ⁴ In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy ⁵ because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, ⁶ being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

⁷ It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. ⁸ God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

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Intro) Today is the last weekend of 2015. Some of us will turn back and say 'This year was quite okay' or some will say 'It was horrible.'

Internationally, we could say 2015 was painful, because of Islam terrorist I.S's expansion and brutal killings on innocent.

In our church's group Galilee many members moved away, so there is a bit of empty feeling. However, overall church is facing end of 2015 in peace. We have to be thankful in all matters like bible says 'give thanks in all circumstances.'

We need to complete the tasks God gave us and keep the path as God's children like today's text verse 6 "⁶ being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ."

 

 Body)

A) First, thank and praise for today's life and result.

1. When we think about this year we all had hardships such as in health, economy, business, family relationships, but we have to have faith and say 'Amen', praise and thank God in pain and struggle.

2. During WWII there was a German theologian and preacher named H. Tilliche.  He was walking down the street of Hamburg after bombing, and he met a middle aged woman. She said "My husband passed away from the bombing last night. I could not find his body, but only his hat. I still thank God that we could listen to pastor's sermon together."Although, her husband had passed away their beautiful memory stayed. Her husband was a faithful man, so she said he will be rest in peace and go to heaven. She had been through a lot, but could hold it with faith with thankful mind.

 

3. After WWII, a Japanese officer from navy went back to his home. When he came back his people was corrupted, and in out of order. He started to live his life with complains, and dissatisfaction.  Later on his body started to paralyze. Doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong with his body, but his psychiatrist told him 'Say thank you to whoever you meet from now on.' After that he started to saying thank you to anyone. once he was saying thank you to his son when his son gave him potatoes and his arm moved and reached to potatoes. His body started to move again and his disease had been cured.

 

4. We have to know that we should be thankful when we are going through hardships, because when we think about God's grace and being thankful will become a turning point and our soul will receive cure. 

 B) Second, Let's not regret the past and go straight forward.

1. "⁶ being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." like these words, there is no need to be regretting our past and fall in depression.

Bible says if there are positive events then keep that memories, but negative events should be removed from your memory and keep going. When people are climbing a high cliff experts say do not look down. This is because people could fear the height and lose the balance.

 

2. John Milton author of 'Paradise Lost' could not see at age of 52 he wrote 'Paradise Lost' at age of 67. When many pity him he said "Being blind is not miserable. It is miserable if there is only complaining about there is nothing to do to win the truth that I became a blind.' He was very positive and great man.

 

3. Nobody is perfect. We make many mistakes and have many weaknesses, but we could be humble, because of this.

 

Abraham, Moses, Peter, and Paul all had mistakes and weakness and they could become humble. When we repent our sins and be humble, God will think we might have potential to become good workers.

 

4. Psychologist Alfred Adler said 'Human's most great side is we have ability to turn minus to plus. The Holy Cross is plus-shaped. If we keep looking at holy cross our life will be plus.

 

C) Third, having hope for future. 

1. The experience we gain in our life is valuable. Either we succeeded or failed it is going to be springboard to our future like saying failure teaches success.

 

2. Think about Jacob in Genesis. Jacob lied, his brother and father took blessings away from his brother. He ran away and he was disliked by many. However, In Genesis 28 :10-15 says

¹⁰ Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran. ¹¹ When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. ¹² He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. ¹³ There above it stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. ¹⁴ Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All people on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. ¹⁵ I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” 

Jacob was a liar, and thought God abandoned him because of it, but God told him he would not leave him. Jacob said “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” ¹⁷ He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.” and   ¹⁸ Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. ¹⁹ He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz.

 

3. There is a Korean song called 'Weight of a grain of rice' by IlSoon Chang, this song is about there is a universe in a grain of rice, and the weight of a grain of rice has life, peace, farmer's weight, life, and universe.

In Chinese rice(米) was formed with two(八) (means 8). This means in order to gain a grain of rice it requires the farmer to walk around 88 times, so it requires endless care and saying 'rice plant grow with the sound of the farmer's footsteps' was created.

 

 

Therefore, when we are tired and carrying burden we should have the mind of a farmer, so we can keep being patient and endlessly challenge to success and achieve victory in our life.

 

Con) In conclusion, let's find out why we have to be patient with 15 reasons.

1. To gain God's love./ 2. To achieve result of words./3. To win current hardships./ 4 To receive platform of belief./5. To form perfect love./6. To stay away from evil./ 7. To teach words more efficiently./ 8. To win the battle of faith./9. To look like to God./ 10. To follow the path of blessing that God promised./ 11.To accomplish God's word. 12. To give all kinds of judgment to God./ 13. To be obedient to the Holy spirit's will./ 14. Hope for heaven./ 15. Because there is a judgment day on Christ's second arrival.

2. Today's verse, 6 of Philippians mean God will give us year 2016, and he will accomplish good things through us.  

 

After few days God will give us new present called new year. Have hope in Jesus, and close 2015 thanking, and praising God.