Sermons

This passage is the scene in which Moses proclaims to the people of Israel that keeping the statutes and commandments is the shortest way to receiving blessing. God promises that when the people hear his word and obey, he will protect and bless them, and the passage emphasises that this is not an unconditional work but a protection given when we live within his word.

The sermon points out that a pastor's heart striving for the growth of church members can sometimes turn into a greedy desire to take God's place. When the sacrifice of the cross and the devotion of ministry are taken for granted and not met with thanksgiving, God instead brings rebuke and judgment. And just as those who close their hearts, like Judas Iscariot, are driven out of the place of blessing, God is not shaken by human mockery or unbelief.

So believers must lay down the feelings of judging or grieving over other people's choices, and entrust their hearts to God alone and pray. Since God blesses those who give thanks and judges those who keep their distance, we need the wisdom to cast off our own righteousness, to help wisely those who draw near to the Word, and to pray for those who stand back and watch. What God wants is not our emotional involvement, but an obedient faith that relies on God alone.

This passage warns of the danger of the pride that puts God in second place, and asks what true humility is. For a king to think he can live without God is pride, and the mistaken belief that we will do well enough without God is what pushes God to the back. When we pray, we must live out with our lives the confession that we cannot live without God, and this is the attitude of seeking God with the lamp of faith in the darkness of the world.

When Christ opens his arms to embrace us, we cannot let go of the sword we have taken up to protect ourselves from wolves. This is a choice to put our own safety and interests ahead of God, and in the end it pulls us out of God's embrace. Like the hardship of a small child who does not see the bicycle coming and fails to take his father's hand, and so has to be scooped up by force, God wants us to throw away worldly greed and honor and come to the Lord. When we let go of that sword, God sets us down safely and gives us a sharper sword.

When, in our places of devotion, whether singing in the choir or serving in our own roles, we do not treat God as first but put worldly matters or our own convenience first, we are putting God in second place. God wants the sincere voice of each individual more than the praise of the whole group, and he wants our devotion to be acknowledged by him. Yet we can put our own feelings first, treat God carelessly, and fail to obey. Even though God has forgiven us in love and given us life, we are still swayed by the world's temptations and fail to follow him. Worshiping God in first place, obeying his commands, and devoting ourselves to him: is this the true life of faith, and what choice are we making now?

This sermon reflects on the life of faith of believers today, drawing on the truth proclaimed by the apostle Paul in the New Testament era that faith comes by hearing. The passage emphasizes that true faith is formed not simply by reading the Bible or listening to sermons, but only when God's word is deeply engraved on the heart and life and brings about change. In the past, even when copies of Scripture were hard to come by, the people of Israel came to understand God's will by memorizing the word, murmuring it, and meditating on it, and that truth became the strength that firmly protected their families and communities.

The sermon points out that believers today should be thankful that they can access the Bible and sermons so easily, but at the same time should take care that the word does not merely make their ears grow bigger. In particular, it emphasizes that the head of a household passing on and teaching the word to the children is not a mere duty but a central spiritual practice through which the family becomes a vessel for receiving God's blessing. It presents turning back to God with repentance and thanksgiving, believing that God will work even amid unseen threats such as a virus, as the only way to endure this age.

The sermon asks what believers murmur and meditate on all day long, and what the focus of their lives is. It invites deep reflection on what kind of faith they will show so as not to forget God and to protect their families in a rapidly changing world, and on how that faith will be passed on to the next generation.

We look back on time spent amid the passing years, repeating regrets and resolutions and going through the ups and downs of self-esteem. The sermon distinguishes chronos, time that flows by, from kairos, meaningful time, and points out that worship and the effort of faith should make our time full in quality. It explains that self-esteem comes not from others' recognition or from circumstances, but from an inner assurance gained by acknowledging our own limits and through our relationship with God.

Through the disciples, who resented Jesus as he slept peacefully in the middle of a dangerous storm, it shows how a lack of faith gives rise to fear and complaint. Jesus wanted the disciples, rather than asking for a miracle, to take command of their situation and their faith through the word and to grow spiritually. This suggests that believers should make moments of hardship and danger not merely a time to endure, but a kairos in which they trust God and grow spiritually.

The promise of fundamental and eternal blessing that comes when we listen diligently to God's word is presented. It conveys that when we look not only at what is seen but also at the unseen, eternal world and enter into a right relationship with God, we are blessed in every area of life. The sermon raises questions to help believers recognize their own abilities and limits, use the time given to them as an opportunity, build up their self-esteem, and grow to the place God desires.