(18th Dec 2011)Jesus who came to us as a Saviour

Scripture Reading: Luke 4:18~19

18. The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,

19. to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

 

Sermon: Jesus who came to us as a Savior

Since I was able to remember I have been a Christian. As my memories, I went to church, I prayed whenever I ate, and I spent times on every Sunday. one day I was really thinking of why I was a Christian in Korea. In Korea, there are so many choices to have religions or not to believe in any religions.

So I asked by myself why I am a Christian. Do I need to be in Christianity?

What would be my answer? guess it! what about your thinking?

Today, I want to share my experience with you having this text.

Let us read verse 18 together.

While we have lived, what are we suffered from?

Firstly, we are suffered from poverty.

We are earning money, but we are happy about it? More earning money Less feeling deficient all the time. Remember it! when you received over 1million won the first time, but now are you satisfied about the money? The reason is that you can see another one who earned more than 1 million won, and then compare yours with theirs. you are not happy.

Yes! we are poor. It must be till the end of this world, we are poorer or poorer. Relative or absolute poverty or not, we are suffered from poverty.

Secondly, we are suffered from prisoned lives.

We have a lot of temptation which are difficult to overcome. It makes us trapped our lives. Our mistakes or sins make us be ill. So we are not happy to live. We lost confidence moreover hope of life. We proclaim by ourselves " have positive power!" *2 but we are prisoned in mistakes and sins which cannot solve at all.

Thirdly, we are suffered from physical or spiritual pains.

Think about it! when a blind Bartimaeus tried to meet Jesus Christ, what was his doing? He was suffered from physical handicap. he could not see anything, He was also lonely and suffered from ignorance by people and society. He was perfectly painful to live in this world.

Nobody's perfectly healthy particularly mentally or spiritually healthy. Whenever we got heartbreak from little to much by people or environments, we are not happy or we are pretending not to be hurt. why? we have to survive.

Fourthly, we are suffered from oppression. We have met powerful one more than us all the time. Secure powers always control us so we are oppressed by his aims or greeds. If it is good, it is nice to us however always it could be bad we are used for their purpose. why we are used? we are weak.

One day I read the text of Isaiah 61:1~3

1. The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,

2. to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,

3. and provide for those who grieve in Zion-- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.

This text shows the Messiah ceased all pains and sufferings in this world. He is the very one who eliminated the origin of pain suffered by our hurt and revengeful lives.

In the present, World wants heros. People think one leader is very great, they are comfortable to live. But my opinion is different. In this complicated world, who solves problems of all the people? No matter how he or she is very smart and powerful, here are the powerful and at the same time, the powerless. How he or she can solve them?

I am tedious to wait a person, hero! In this world, nobody can release our complicated and intense sufferings whoever to be a leader for us.

However, Jesus shows us as a perfect leader who makes us get out of our pains. He incited the text of Isaiah chapter 6 verse 1 to 2. And he told Jews at synagogue who he was and why he came to them.

It is the following: "Jesus Christ preaches God's good news, "Heaven is coming for you" to the poor, then proclaims freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed"

I was thinking: "What am I expecting to go to Church as a Christian?" This text was the answer. For this answer, I decided to be a Christian. Not by my parents' will, not by my friends' will, by my will, I am willing to be a Christian, a child of God, and a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Religion is not a tool for escaping difficulties of this world. It is not a hobby, it is not an entertainment. Also it is not a way to gain comfort of your heart. Christianity is a way to live, a value. To believe "Jesus is my saviour and my Lord" is my value. So I follows to live as his value. Without this way, we can not overcome hardship of this world. Worries and fears would control you? Have a faith on Jesus Christ! Change this faith from a tool of comfort to a value of your lives! If we so, we can see the worries and fears are controlled by us.

If we can do, we can see to be proclaimed the year of the Lord's favor. What is the year of the Lord's favor? It is the day of God's judgement to unbelivers on the other hand, the day of God's salvation.

Christmas is the next week. This year is closing. Now let us have in mind. If we have lived under the power of satan under 2011, plz change our value to Jesus Christ our Lord and then wait the year of the Lord's favor! Our almighty God bless us! Who is gonna make me be in sufferings. Lord Christ makes us be free who gonna make us be oppressed.

I hope you and I believe in Jesus is the saviour and will be blessed in Lord's grace.

Let's pray together

Oh! Lord Thanks for proclaiming freedom to us! You came to us and make us free from the trapped and the oppressed. Now we confess you are our saviour please be with us. In Jesus name we pray Amen.