Are you sure that what is at the center of your heart now is good enough to entrust your whole life? I am very sorry to see so many people put unworth

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Are you sure that what is at the center of your heart now is good enough to entrust your whole life? I am very sorry to see so many people put unworth"

영용 증
6 years ago
Views:

1 2017 년 12 월 17 일주일설교 (Sermon Text for December 17 th of 2017) What Is at the Center of Your Heart? Revelation 3:20 I am so happy to see all church family in one place. I believe our heavenly Father is also happy to see us all worship together. During this season of the Advent, most American churches put this on the alter area. Do you know what this is? This is called the Nativity Scene. The church history tells that St. Francis first created this scene to turn people s eyes and hearts from material things to Jesus during the Advent season. This is also called the Manger Scene. Do you know what the manger is? A manger is the place where animal food is placed. Now what do you see here? An angel on the top. Joseph and Mary inside the hut. Two shepherds on your left side and three magi on your right side. We also see animals. Then what do you expect to see at the center of this scene? Yes, the baby Jesus in the manger. But the baby Jesus is missing. What a mistake this is! Unless the baby Jesus is in the manger, this nativity scene is not complete. The most important element is lacking. This is not a mistake. The churches intentionally leave the manger empty until the day of Christmas. By looking at this incomplete scene for four weeks we are reminded whom we are waiting for. We are waiting to see neither Santa Claus, nor the Magi, nor Joseph and Mary, nor the Shepherds, nor the precious gifts. We are waiting for Jesus the Son of God our Savior. This scene symbolizes the heart of each of us. You may have all good things such as wonderful parents, beautiful house, good friends, toys and dolls, game machines and so on. They are all good things to have. Please remember that there are many unfortunate people who don t have some of these things or none of them. You need to be grateful for what you have now. Don t complain about what you don t have, but be grateful for what you have. Also you may have some things to wait and long for in your heart. It may be better grade, prestigious school, larger house, nice car or someone to love and to be loved. Whatever they are, your heart must be filled with many dreams and wishes. It is my prayer that all of your good dreams and wishes may come true. Remember, however, that you always need to pay attention to the center of you heart. What or who is at the center of your heart? Is it empty? Then your life will end up with total mess. Unless you have something very important at the center of your heart, all things, dreams, hopes, desires and wishes will fight against each other and you will break down in the end. You need to find out what or who to put at the center of your heart. Has your heart been occupied by something or someone? Is it success at school? Is it the person you love? Is it beautiful body shape? Is it something very expensive you cannot buy? Remember this! What is at the center of your heart will determine your life, its direction, its value, its nature and its destiny. 1

2 Are you sure that what is at the center of your heart now is good enough to entrust your whole life? I am very sorry to see so many people put unworthy things or persons at the center of their hearts. Even among those who worship God on a regular basis made the wrong choice. That is why we put this Nativity Scene at the center of the altar during this period. That is why we leave the manger empty. This scene raises question to all of us: What is at the center of our hearts? God created that space for Himself. This is not to make God happy but to make us human beings blessed. We need to put something or someone that is bigger than we are. We need to find something or someone that is worthy to determine our lives. God is the only one who deserves that honor and who is worthy to determine our lives. Nothing else than Jesus can make this Nativity Scene complete. Nothing else than Jesus likewise should occupy at the center of our hearts. Jesus is the only one who is worthy for being our Lord. Once He resides at the center of our hearts, He will put things order and our lives will become meaningful, joyful and purposeful. Jesus who came to us 2,000 years ago still wants to come to our hearts. He knocks at the door of our hearts until we open them to Him. That is why the risen Jesus said, Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. There is an African-American spiritual based on this verse. The title is Somebody s knocking at your door. It goes like this: Somebody s knocking at your door. Somebody s knocking at your door. O sinner, why don t you answer. Somebody s knocking at your door. This song calls us sinner. Do you agree that you are a sinner? It doesn t mean that you are a criminal. It means that our beings are deeply infected with the sin virus and what we think, say and do is not in line with God s will at many times. The only way for us sinners to get healed with the sin virus and to be transformed to righteous persons is to open our hearts to receive Jesus Christ as our Lord. There have been numerous painters who try to draw picture about this verse and all of them agreed on one thing. As you see from the below picture, the door-nob is attached only inside the door. 2

3 Even God cannot open the door from the outside because He respects our free-will. He doesn t want to force to open or break the door. He waits until we voluntarily open the door to Him. So I ask you. Did you open your heart and received Him at the center? Yes? Well done! Then check your hearts every day to see if He is still at the center. There are many believers who push Jesus aside from the center and put something else there. You won t get the full benefit if Jesus is put aside. Have you still not answered to His soft voice and leave your heart locked? Please don t waste your time and life. Whatever you do and whatever you accomplish, life without Jesus is a waste and failure. Open your heart wide and receive Jesus into the center! Let Him reign your world as your King and Lord. This, only this will make our lives complete and He will make our lives meaningful, joyful, purposeful and eternal. This is the message we need to hear at the Christmas. May God bless us all! Amen! 3

4 당신의마음중심에무엇이있습니까? 요한계시록 3:20 이렇게온교회가족이한자리에모여예배드리게되어참좋습니다. 우리의하늘 아버지께서도우리가이렇게함께예배하는것을기뻐하실것입니다. 대림절기간이되면대개의미국교회에서는강단중앙에설치해두는것이있습니다. 그것이무엇인지아십니까? 영어로 Nativity Scene 이라고부르고우리말로굳이번역하자면 목가적풍경 이라고할까요? 교회역사에의하면, 프랜시스성인이사람들의눈과마음을물질적인것으로부터예수님에게로돌리기위해이장면을처음만들었다고합니다. 이것을 구유풍경 이라고도부릅니다. 이풍경에무엇이보입니까? 위에는천사가보이고, 헛간안에는요셉과마리아가있고. 왼쪽에는목사들이, 오른쪽에는동방박사들이있습니다. 동물들도보이지요. 이풍경의중앙에무엇이있어야합니까? 구유에누인아기예수가있어야합니다. 그런데여기에보면아기예수님이없습니다. 이얼마나큰실수입니까? 아기예수님이없으면이풍경은미완성입니다. 가장중요한요소가빠진것이지요. 이것은실수가아닙니다. 교회에서는의도적으로성탄일이오기전까지구유를비워놓습니다. 네주간동안채워지지않은이장면을보고우리는우리가기다리는것이누구인지를기억하게됩니다. 우리가기다리는것은산타클로스도, 동방박사도, 요셉과마리아도, 목자도, 값비싼선물도아닙니다. 우리는하나님의아들이요우리의구원자이신예수님을기다립니다. 이장면은우리각자의마음을상징합니다. 여러분은좋은부모, 좋은집, 좋은친구, 장난감과인형, 게임기구같은좋은것들을많이가지고있을것입니다. 그런것들을가지는것은좋은일입니다. 다만그런것들을충분히가지지못한사람들혹은전혀가지지못한사람들도있음을기억해주시기바랍니다. 지금가지고있는것에감사해야합니다. 가지고있지않는것때문에불평하지말고, 가지고있는것으로인해감사해야합니다. 여러분마음에는또한뭔가기다리는것혹은바라는것이있을것입니다. 더좋은성적을바라기도할것이고, 좋은학교에가는것, 더큰집을사는것, 더좋은차를사는것혹은사랑하는사람을만나는것을바라기도하겠지요. 그것이무엇이든여러분의마음에는여러가지꿈과소망으로가득할것입니다. 여러분이가진좋은소망들이이루어지기를기도합니다. 하지만여러분은언제나여러분의마음의중심을살펴야합니다. 여러분의마음중심에는무엇이혹은누가있습니까? 4

5 혹시비어있습니까? 그렇다면여러분의삶은혼돈에빠질것입니다. 마음중심에매우중요한무엇이없으면, 마음안에있는모든꿈과소망과욕망과바램은서로싸울것이고결국여러분은무너질것이기때문입니다. 마음의중심에둘만한어떤것혹은어떤사람을찾아야합니다. 여러분의마음의중심에무엇이혹은누군가가점령하고있습니까? 학교에서좋은성적을내는것입니까? 사랑하는사람이거기에있습니까? 멋진몸을가꾸는것이중심에있습니까? 당신이가진돈으로는살수없는비싼물건이거기에있습니까? 기억하십시오. 여러분의마음중심에있는그것이여러분의삶을지배합니다. 삶의방향, 삶의가치, 삶의성격그리고그운명까지. 그렇다면지금여러분의마음중심에있는것이무엇인지살펴보십시오. 당신의인생전체를맡길만한것입니까? 얼마나많은사람들이두지말아야할것을마음중심에두고사는지모릅니다. 매주일예배에나오는사람들중에도마음중심에두지말아야할것을두고살아갑니다. 바로이것이대림절기간동안에예수님의탄생장면을강단중앙에설치하는이유입니다. 바로이것이구유를비워두는이유입니다. 이장면은보는이에게매우중요한질문하나를제기합니다. 당신의마음중심에는무엇이있습니까? 하나님은우리의마음중심을당신을위해지으셨습니다. 그렇게하신이유는하나님때문이아니라우리가복된삶을누리게하기위한것입니다. 우리는우리보다큰어떤것을마음중심에두어야합니다. 우리는우리의삶을결정해도될만한것을마음중심에두어야합니다. 우리에게서그런영예를받을대상은오직하나님밖에없고, 우리의인생을맡길대상도오직하나님밖에없습니다. 예수님외에는어떤것도이탄생장면을완성하지못합니다. 마찬가지로예수님외에는어떤것도우리마음의중심에합당하지않습니다. 우리의주님이될만한존재는예수님밖에없습니다. 그분이우리의마음중심에자리를잡으시면모든것이제자리를찾게되고우리의삶은의미와기쁨과목적으로가득하게될것입니다. 2 천년전에우리에게오셨던예수님은지금우리의마음에오기를원하십니다. 그분은 우리마음의문을두드리고계십니다. 우리가문을열어모셔들일때까지. 그래서부활하신 주님께서이렇게말씀하셨습니다. 보아라, 내가문밖에서서, 문을두드리고있다. 누구든지내음성을듣고문을열면, 나는 그에게로들어가서그와함께먹고, 그는나와함께먹을것이다. ( 계 3:20) 이말씀에기초하여만들어진흑인영가가있습니다. 제목은 누군가가네문을두드리고 계시네 입니다. 그가사는이렇습니다. 5

누군가네문을두드리고계셔누군가네문을두드리고계셔오, 죄인이여, 왜대답하지않는가누군가네문을두드리고계셔 이노래가사는우리를 죄인 이라고부릅니다. 여러분은스스로죄인인것을인정하십니까? 여러분이 범죄자 라는뜻은아닙니다. 우리가죄인이라는말은우리의존재가죄라는병균에깊이전염되어있고그래서우리가생각하고말하고행동하는것이자주하나님의뜻에벗어난다는뜻입니다.

6 누군가네문을두드리고계셔누군가네문을두드리고계셔오, 죄인이여, 왜대답하지않는가누군가네문을두드리고계셔 이노래가사는우리를 죄인 이라고부릅니다. 여러분은스스로죄인인것을인정하십니까? 여러분이 범죄자 라는뜻은아닙니다. 우리가죄인이라는말은우리의존재가죄라는병균에깊이전염되어있고그래서우리가생각하고말하고행동하는것이자주하나님의뜻에벗어난다는뜻입니다. 죄인인우리가죄라는병균으로부터치유받고의로운사람으로변화되는것은오직마음의문을열어주님을영접하는것밖에없습니다. 이말씀을그림으로표현한화가들도많이있었습니다. 그림의모습은각각다르지만한가지공통적인것이있습니다. 다음그림에서보듯, 문을열수있는손잡이가오직문안쪽에만있습니다. 하나님조차도바깥에서문을열수없습니다. 우리의자유의지를존중해주시기때문입니다. 그분은우리마음의문을억지로열지도않으시고문을깨고들어오시지도않습니다. 우리가자원하여문을열떄까지그분은기다리십니다. 그래서제가여러분에게여쭙니다. 여러분은마음의문을열어그분을중심에모셔들였습니까? 그렇게하셨습니까? 잘하셨습니다. 그렇다면매일여러분의마음을점검하십시오. 예수를믿는다고하면서도예수님을마음의가장자리로밀어내고다른것을중심에둔사람들이많습니다. 만일예수님을가장자리로밀어놓았다면그분은여러분의삶을온전히다스리지못합니다. 6

7 혹시여러분은아직도주님의미세한음성에응답하지않고마음의문을닫아놓은채로사는것은아닙니까? 여러분의시간과인생을허비하지마시기바랍니다. 여러분이무엇을하든혹은얼마나많은것을이루든, 예수없는인생은허비요실패입니다. 여러분의마음을활짝열고주님을마음중심에받아들이십시오. 주님께서왕이요주로서여러분의인생을다스리게하십시오. 오직이것만이우리의인생을완성시킬수있고, 주님만이우리의삶을의미와기쁨과목적과영원으로채우실수있습니다. 바로이것이성탄절에들어야할메시지입니다. 주님께서우리모두에게은총을베풀어주시기를빕니다. 아멘! 7

하나님의 선한 손의 도우심 이세상에서 가장 큰 축복은 하나님이 나와 함께 하시는 것입니다. 그 이 유는 하나님이 모든 축복의 근원이시기 때문입니다. 에스라서에 보면 하나님의 선한 손의 도우심이 함께 했던 사람의 이야기 가 나와 있는데 에스라 7장은 거듭해서 그 비결을

새벽이슬 2 0 1 3 a u g u s t 내가 이스라엘에게 이슬과 같으리니 그가 백합화같이 피 겠고 레바논 백향목같이 뿌리가 박힐것이라. Vol 5 Number 3 호세아 14:5 하나님의 선한 손의 도우심 이세상에서 가장 큰 축복은 하나님이 나와 함께 하시는 것입니다. 그 이 유는 하나님이 모든 축복의 근원이시기 때문입니다. 에스라서에 보면 하나님의 선한