Sermons

This passage deals with the story of Esther, a woman who, while living in a foreign land, kept her identity as one of God's people and, facing the threat of her people's annihilation, made a decision at the risk of her own life. Just before Haman's evil plot was to be carried out, Esther saves her people by choosing, despite her fear, to fast and pray and to go before the king. The sermon emphasizes that Esther's action was not mere courage but an expression of faith that offers a 'good instrument' through which God can work.

The sermon points out that the wealth and power believers enjoy in the world are instruments entrusted to them for the kingdom of God. God helps believers only when they first change and offer good instruments; he does not intervene while they remain unrepentant. Therefore believers must use their position and abilities not to satisfy worldly greed but to worship God and keep the truth. It also reminds us that fasting and prayer are not formal observances but a spiritual decision to humble oneself before God and seek him earnestly.

The sermon says that everything believers have gains the power to work only when it is used for God. It conveys that when they stand with a resolve that is not shaken by the world's values and persecution and does not fear death, God protects them and judges their enemies. Finally, it asks how believers should prepare and offer, through their own lives, good instruments that would please God, and what kind of faith they should have in the process.

Today's passage deals with how the cherub, the foremost spirit that God made with the greatest care, fell through pride and became Satan. Although he had received the highest glory and wisdom from God, he was not thankful but coveted the throne and rebelled; as a result he was driven out from the mountain of God, and a third of the angels fell with him. To prevent his own judgment, this fallen being made a meticulous plan to overturn God's order of creation and steal human souls.

Satan has continually interfered throughout history with the aim of finding and killing the offspring of the woman. He tempted Adam and Eve and caused them to fall, and before the flood in Noah's day he tried to corrupt human genes to keep the offspring of the woman from coming. And when Jesus came to this earth, he tried to kill the baby through King Herod, tempted him in the wilderness, and used Judas and the priests to have him nailed to the cross. But Satan did not foresee Jesus' resurrection and ascension, and all his schemes ended in failure.

Now Satan is hindering worship, defiling the world, and persecuting believers in the name of human rights, peace, and the prevention of infectious disease. But unless God permits it, Satan cannot stop the faith of believers, and good angels are guarding them. All of Satan's plans have already failed, and the victory belongs to believers. How should we view this age, and how can we live by faith without being shaken?

Through the apostle Paul's letter to the believers of the church in Philippi, this passage emphasizes that we can find true peace and joy only in Christ, by casting away the world's values and human righteousness. Paul urges the believers not to harbor complaining and judging hearts toward one another, but to serve humbly in the fullness of the Holy Spirit, and to cherish and help their brothers and sisters. This shows that it is not a mere moral lesson but an essential attitude for life, needed to win the spiritual battle and enter the kingdom of heaven.

In particular, the passage points out that the root of conflict within the church lies in the pride that seeks to exalt oneself above God and to be recognized, and warns that such an attitude ultimately leads people to lose interest in salvation. Through Jesus' words about admonishing a brother who sins and about cases where someone will not submit to the authority of the church, it also explains how important the obedience and unity of believers are. It conveys that believers experience miracles and protection when they pray together and intercede for one another, and that the secret to standing safe from Satan's attacks is a community of faith centered on Christ.

We are standing in a season of trial that sifts out, through the difficulties and tests we are now going through, what true fruit is. To avoid falling for Satan's schemes and to live following the leading of the Holy Spirit, we must lay down our own righteousness completely and depend wholly on God. When we grow into mature people of faith through this circumcision of the heart, we can enjoy a peace that is not shaken even amid the confusion of the world. So we must look back and ask whether we are now laying down our desire for our own convenience and recognition, and living a life devoted only to Christ and our brothers and sisters.

This passage is part of the letter the apostle Paul sent to the believers of the church in Philippi, and it deals with how to live by faith when one is alone, outside the church. Paul emphasizes that while it is easy to keep the faith when we are together, when we are alone we must obey God's word through our own effort alone. Pointing out that even after receiving grace the believers are showing arrogant attitudes and behaving in ways that offend their brothers and sisters, he warns that such attitudes can become a sin that pushes saved souls toward death.

The sermon explains that the words 'work out your own salvation with fear and trembling' describe a process of guarding the grace we have received, walking with the Holy Spirit, and making an effort. Salvation is accomplished by God's work, but believers must treasure that grace and take the trouble to flip the switch that turns on the light. If people cannot let go of human righteousness and greed and neglect worship and God's word, they end up drifting away from salvation, and this becomes a dangerous moment when Satan can approach. It also conveys that we can grow only when we treasure the people who give us advice that is hard to hear, and obey those words.

God is constantly at work for the salvation of believers, but if we do not work together with him, we cannot receive God's blessing. With Paul praying at the risk of his life for the believers' repentance, the believers must acknowledge their weakness and turn back quickly. When they honor their brothers and sisters in the faith, serve one another, and keep a humble heart, God sees their good deeds and grants them special grace. We should consider how we will receive this earnest plea from Paul, and how we will keep our faith with fear and trembling.

This passage contains the apostle Paul's exhortation to the believers of the church in Philippi to have the mind of Christ and to treat one another with humility. At the time, there were believers in the church who thought themselves superior and engaged in strife and vain conceit, and to correct this division Paul presents the example of the humility and service of Jesus, who emptied himself and took the form of a servant.

The sermon emphasizes a life in the church of casting away human righteousness and the world's standards, humbly obeying the advice of those who are further along spiritually, and serving one another. It conveys that when pastors and church members alike follow the love of Christ, caring for one another from a low place and relating with love and devotion instead of criticism and condemnation, the church grows strong and God is glorified. It also reminds us that a life that obeys God's will, not the world's logic of success, is true blessing.

How can believers gain the wisdom to have the mind of Christ and to humble themselves and serve their brothers and sisters, rather than insisting on their own opinions? And amid the temptation to apply the world's methods to the church, how can they live out a truly humble life of obedience?

This passage conveys the apostle Paul's joy over the spread of the gospel even while he is imprisoned. Paul sees his suffering as having actually helped the believers of the church in Philippi grow in faith and helped the gospel to be proclaimed, and he rejoices in the gospel being spread whatever the motive with which Christ is preached. He also boasts that he gained mature wisdom through his experiences of pain and refining, and that he uses it as a tool to bring other souls to life.

The world rejects and persecutes the light of the truth, but Paul, unable to leave the souls he loves in darkness, proclaims God's word ready to die. He does not display his own righteousness but lets Christ alone be revealed, and he endures suffering with the help of the Holy Spirit. Paul's life shows the conviction that whether he lives or dies, it is for Christ, and so both are gain. His hope of heaven is so firm that he is not shaken by the world's mockery or persecution, and he had a bold faith willing to sacrifice his life for the salvation of souls.

Believers must live by God's law, not the world's law, and with spiritual discernment stand against Satan's interference and persecution. How can we understand and follow the essence of this devoted and humble faith that Paul showed?

This passage is part of the letter the apostle Paul sent to the believers of the church in Philippi while he was imprisoned in Rome. Paul expresses deep gratitude as he thinks of the brothers and sisters who, even in his suffering, have steadily helped him and devoted themselves. He confesses that he longs for them because they are in his heart and have shared in grace with him in his chains and in the defense of the gospel. This shows their decision to give up worldly possessions and comfort and to sacrifice themselves for the gospel.

The sermon points to the pain and the decisions the Philippian believers had to go through before they left worldly abundance and idolatry and received Jesus Christ. Just as the Israelites who returned from exile in Babylon devoted themselves to rebuilding a desolate Jerusalem, they had to lay down all the glory they had enjoyed in order to believe in the unseen God. That believers such as Lydia opened their homes and helped materially was not a human choice but the work of the Holy Spirit, who opened their hearts to understand the truth. Paul emphasizes that such devotion is showing love with the tender mercies of Christ, and that God is witness to that sincerity.

It asks what kind of faith we have as believers, and whether we are trusted in such a way that people who meet us are moved to give thanks and pray. With the observation that being recognized by the world may be harder than receiving grace from God, we are led to consider how we should live in order to discern what is spiritually good and to stand blameless until the day of Christ.

Through Jesus' healing of a man with leprosy, the situation in which Samuel could no longer pray for King Saul, and the history of Jeremiah crying out amid the people's rebellion, this passage deals with what 'despair' means for the maturing of faith. People can endure when there is hope, but holding on to hope for those who betray endless love and choose the world ultimately leaves one with nothing but emptiness. God knows that the nature of the world does not change, yet he revealed his wrath through judgment, and believers, too, should look to God's sovereignty rather than to people changing.

The sermon looks squarely at the deep hurt and frustration believers feel when they devote themselves to saving a soul and the other person does not change. It emphasizes that this despair is a feeling experienced only by those who have taken on the responsibility and made the effort, and that the beginning of true faith is not avoiding it or resenting it but acknowledging that reality. Believers must rely on the leading of the Holy Spirit rather than placing their hope in people, and only when they realize that the world is a place already under judgment can they stand on an unshakable rock. Despair becomes a step that keeps us from setting our hearts any longer on the empty world and on people, and leads us to depend wholly on Christ, our only hope.

The sermon asks whether believers have ever despaired because of people and circumstances that do not change, and whether they are still carrying that pain. Knowing that this despair can be left behind only by growing strong through the power of the Holy Spirit, believers are led to consider how they can set their faith right.

This passage is the scene in which Jesus urges his disciples not to let their hearts be troubled and declares that in his Father's house there are many homes. Amid the sad reality of a world paralyzed by an epidemic and people avoiding one another, it leads believers to realize that the end of the world has drawn near and to prepare to welcome the returning Lord.

The sermon emphasizes that the suffering and persecution we are now going through are God's will to refine believers and make them into good grain. It says that just as the household of Obed-Edom was blessed by keeping the ark, we should make this time shut up at home an opportunity for blessing, worshiping and praying together with our families. It also preaches that we must overcome the fear of death, look toward our eternal home, and have the wisdom to judge by God's word without compromising with the world.

What prayers and supplications should believers offer so that they can boldly keep their faith without fear and go on toward the eternal dwelling place Jesus has prepared?

Through the event in which the prophet Jeremiah wore a belt around his waist, hid it in a crevice of a rock by the water, and later took it out ruined, this passage warns of the condition of a people who had disobeyed God's word and grown hardened. Because the people served idols and would not turn their hearts back, God declares that he will no longer pity them but will judge them. This shows that the pride that takes God's grace for granted and seeks only its own glory ends up as useless as the ruined belt.

In this context of judgment, the sermon points to the attitude of true faith that believers should have. When people exalt themselves and try to establish their own righteousness, God brings them low, but those who humbly lower themselves and serve others, God lifts up. In particular, Jesus bore the cross and rose again to save sinners in order to give believers the courage to live patiently toward the kingdom of heaven without fearing death and persecution.

Finally, the sermon asks whether we are ready to welcome the returning Lord. To meet Christ, who comes like a thief, believers must now keep their faith in the spiritual battle with the evil one, remember the love of the cross, and live according to God's word. The sermon leads believers to live victorious lives, not letting go of Jesus' hand even amid the waves of the world, and holding on to the hope of the resurrection through the evidence of the empty tomb.

Today's passage deals with how believers' faith grows through various stages. It shows that Jesus Christ himself became a ladder for believers who stand on different steps of faith, from flower-garden faith to eagle faith. The foundation of this ladder is the astonishing love and sacrifice of God the Creator, who willingly accepted death on the cross to save sinners.

But we often take this astonishing grace for granted, and instead bargain with God for worldly power and honor or ask for the comfort of the flesh. Just as Adam and Eve stumbled because they failed to discern rightly about the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, and just as Peter trusted in his own strength and denied Jesus, we are still wavering amid Satan's temptations and the maze of the world. Though Jesus has the power to judge, he is patient in order to fulfill God's will of saving souls, and he stays by believers' side to the end, keeping them from stumbling.

Can we, rather than hesitating at the foot of the ladder and going along with the world, respond only to the love of Christ and climb the steps of faith with strength?

Using the image of an eagle that sheds its worn-out beak and talons, replaces them with new ones, and flies higher into the sky, this passage illustrates the spiritual perseverance and training that believers should have. It also shows how true faith is made complete through Moses, who went down from being a prince to being a shepherd in the wilderness and shed his pride, and through Abraham's obedience in offering his most beloved son Isaac to God.

The sermon points out that believers' maturity is not an easy process, and emphasizes that it requires hard training in overcoming one's own righteousness and human instincts and obeying God. In particular, it says that we must acknowledge God's sovereignty before our own devotion, and believe that when we obey God's word without complaining, God walks with us in the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire. It explains that, like Abraham's decision to offer Isaac, only when we entrust everything to God as he wills do we experience true resurrection faith and blessing.

We are led to look back on whether we have the kind of faith that can overcome the world's temptations and pride and fly high in the sky like an eagle, and whether we are ready to boldly lay down what is ours in order to carry out the mission God has given us.