February 9, 2003: 5th Sunday after Epiphany; Boy Scout Sunday
Sermon by Pastor J. T. Kim
GO BACK TO THE BASICS!
(Isaiah 40:21-31, NRSV)
[21] Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? [22] It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in; [23] who brings princes to naught, and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing. [24] Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows upon them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble. [25] To whom then will you compare me, or who is my equal? says the Holy One. [26] Lift up your eyes on high and see: Who created these? He who brings out their host and numbers them, calling them all by name; because he is great in strength, mighty in power, not one is missing. [27] Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God"? [28] Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. [29] He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. [30] Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; [31] but those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
The cover story of the most recent issue of Newsweek magazine, dated February 10, 2003, is a special report on Space Shuttle Columbia. The headline reads: �Not Again.�
Minutes before it was supposed to land on last Saturday, the space shuttle Columbia exploded in flames over Texas, killing all seven crew members onboard. The NASA people still are trying to find out exactly what went wrong in this �tragic� mission.
One thing I have learned is that the shuttle is coated with more than 20,000 ceramic tiles designed to protect the aluminum shell from the heat of re-entry. The speed of the shuttle when re-enter into the earth is 130,000 miles per hour! This would cause 3,000 degrees of the heat when the shuttle hits the atmosphere.
That�s why the ceramic tile insulation is very important. And it has been reported that loss of the tiles may expose the craft to damaging temperatures.
And I was shocked when I learned that the Columbia was built in 1981 - 22 years ago! The craft was composed of 2 and � million parts, and 6,400 contractors and their 300,000 employees have been involved in this project with the annual cost of $200 million.
So this space project has been a very important economic source for many people in Texas, Florida, Ohio, and Alabama� so forth.
No wonder the senators and representatives from these states have been lobbying to keep this Columbia project �as long as possible� - regardless the ages and the possible dangers of the shuttle.
We realize that, behind this kind of disaster, there have been always human errors, mistakes, drawbacks, and limits. We still remember the �Challenger� disaster that happened in 1986.
Along with these disasters, since 9/11 we have been thinking about a serious question: �IF God is good, why do bad things happen?�
�IF God is good, why do bad things happen?�
This question has been always a #1 in the FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) of new Christians.
Bad things do happen in our every day�s lives.
I�m sure whenever people experience any bad things happening in their lives, they question, or even doubt, God�s existence or God�s goodness.
Why bad things happen?
Basically we can attempt to have two answers:
(1) Bad things happen as results of our bad choices.
We human beings are created with �free wills,� not as �robots� or �puppets.� God has given us freedom of choice. We have the right to make choices in life that determines our future.
We all know that our natural tendency is bad � and we end up making bad choices that would lead to bad results including pains. See - we make bad choices and those decisions cause pain.
God did not cause the pain or just sit back and abandon us. Look at all these automobile accidents, gun shootings, health problems�etc. Behind all these tragedy and crisis, we often find that somebody made a decision of their own free choice that set in motion circumstances that ended in pain.
God could not and would not intervene in every moment of every human life. To do that would completely eliminate our ability to reason, to judge right from wrong, and to freely choose our paths and our actions.
It is very important to realize that God did not create a world of mindless robots with no sense of responsibility, accountability, or learning from their actions. We are responsible for our own actions.
(2) On the other hand, we also witness that many tragedies with no apparent human error involved do happen.
We often want desperately to find a �WHY,� - as if discovering a cause will make it easier to cope with the situation. But it will not.
There always has been and always will be frustrating and painful events that are random to our lives. With our knowledge or experiences, we never understand why these things are happening, for these things are beyond our control.
However, we do believe in God. This fact makes a tremendous difference when we are faced with these bad things.
That�s why we have faith in God.
That�s why we pray to God.
That�s why we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to be led by the Spirit in order to make right decisions � based on the divine wisdom from God.
Remember - whatever happens in life, God does promise that God will be with us. We do not have to endure alone the difficulties and pains we experience in our life.
When bad things happen, God cries with us.
God rejoices with our joys and victories!
God also mourns our sorrows and despairs.
God is good, and we are surrounded by His goodness.
When life breaks apart, God is there to help us to pull the pieces together.
Isaiah preached in today�s text when the people of Israel were weakened by many invasions, attacks, and terrorism. The Israelites were burned out by all means. These wars and hardships they went through really made them exhausted.
They were extremely tired and hopeless. What they needed were God�s comfort and God�s strengths.
Isaiah proclaimed: [26] Lift up your eyes on high and see: Who created these? He who brings out their host and numbers them, calling them all by name; because he is great in strength, mighty in power, not one is missing.
Isaiah spoke with conviction to the people, reminding them of the Creator of the universe! And the presence of Almighty God who gives us power and strength.
[29] He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless.
Yes! God is the source of our strength!
[30] Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted;
If you�re tired and powerless physically, then you�d better see your doctor! God also made doctors and medications to heal us.
You should know the difference between being tired physically due to your mismanagement of your body and being burned out spiritually or emotionally.
And if you have a mental problem, do not try solving your problems by only prayers or by expecting your Pastor to solve your problem. See your psychiatrist! You need to get a help from a professional medical specialist!
However, if you believe your problem is a spiritual one, such as spiritual burn-outs, And if you are willing to take a spiritual guideline, here are the answers you�re looking for!
By the way, today is Boy Scout Sunday. We are blessed with having these young people in our church.
As I understand, one of the most important mottoes would be �Be Prepared.�
Anything could happen to you in your life. But when you are �prepared,� then you�ll be O.K. You�ll survive. You�ll sustain your life.
This principle also can apply to our spiritual life. When you always try to follow God�s way, not your own way, then God will lead you into all the good things!
[31] but those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
The phrase, �those who wait for the LORD,� means �those who expect, look for, and hope in God.�
Simply, who are these people? They love God and always try to please God. They are God�s soldiers. They possess their basic drills and knowledge when in war. They know how to draw strength from God.
So, whenever they go through many spiritual warfare in their lives, and feel weakened, they can always go back to the basics. And they are renewed by God�s mighty power.
Going back to the basics. This is what we need especially in this time of fear, frustration, anxiety, and sorrow. We need to go back to God who is the source of our strength.
Charles Stanley�s book �The Source of My Strength� has given me many insights. And especially I agree with his points when he talks about overcoming burned out.
In the one of the principles, he emphasizes that �When feeling burned out, go back to the basics of your life in Christ.�
And he lists the basic for any Christian in threefold: (1) God�s Word; (2) Prayer; and (3) Fellowship with other believers. Let me briefly go over these.
(1) God Word:
This is the basic of the basics in our Christian life. Spend time every day in God�s Word. As you get into the Bible, this Word of God becomes your very nature, your character, your attitude, and your mind-set.
Remember what Jesus said?
John 15:4a: Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.
God�s Word never causes us to feel exhausted, frustrated, or anxious. God�s Word brings peace, hope, rest, and soundness of heart and mind.
(2) Prayer:
Share with God your worries, hopes, desires, fears, and concerns. Listen for Him to speak His words of comfort, counsel, and direction.
Jeremiah 29:12 (NIV): �� you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.�
Prayers change things. We have already witnessed our prayers are really working!
(3) Fellowship with other believers:
Ephesians 2:22 (NIV): � in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
We are the Body of Christ, and this means that we all belong to one another. No single part can be a whole body.
We are a community of faith that connects one another in Christ. We love God, and we love one another.
My brothers and sisters in Christ!
Hudson Taylor once noted that �God uses men who are weak and feeble enough to lean on him.�
Maybe it is true that we are weak in many ways. We experience all kinds of things in life.
However, no matter what circumstances we are in or we are going through, let us go back to the basics!
Through the Word of God, prayers, and the fellowship with other believers God will strengthen us with His mighty power!
Then, we � shall mount up with wings like eagles, and we � shall run and not be weary, � we shall walk and not faint�
God is the source of our strength!
Id� like to close my sermon with a poem called �In Weakness.� This poem is found from Max Cleland�s book, Strong at the Broken Places. I know many of you already heard this one before.
I asked God for strength that I might achieve,
I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for health, that I might do greater things,
I was given infirmity that I might do better things.
I asked for riches, that I might be happy,
I was given poverty, that I might be wise.
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men,
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life,
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for �
but everything I had hoped for.
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am among all men, most richly blessed.
May God strengthen you more and more and day by day! (Amen)
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