Let it be a church like this
07.21.24
Hodgdon & Houlton UMC
<The Lord
is my shepherd>
Good morning. Seeing you all here for our Summer Combined Service with Hodgdon and Houlton United Methodist Church is wonderful. We are sisters and brothers in
Christ, united in our faith and fellowship. May God bless us with unity,
spiritual fellowship, and great memories this summer.
I want to thank you for your incredible support through your cards,
texts, gifts, food, babysitting, and prayers. I am deeply
grateful and feel like a debtor of grace and love. While I can never fully
repay your kindness, please know how much it means to me.
During my two
weeks of recovery, God restored not only my body but also my soul and mind. He
allowed me to reflect on my life, especially the past ten years here in Houlton
and Hodgdon. This period of reflection brought to mind a Bible verse that
perfectly captures my feelings: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want”
(Psalm 23:1). Many who knew us were concerned about our move here, especially
since we had no Korean friends, family, or familiar food. But God, in His
infinite grace, provided everything we needed and more. Most of all we became a
family!
However, Recently
God answered my prayers which I had been praying for over a year. There was no
sign until the last minute. When God opened the door, I couldn’t believe it.
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the
things which God has prepared for those who love Him. (1 Corinthians 2:9)” God
gave me this Bible verse twice in the last week.
Right after I
rejoiced about the good news, I felt lacking in another area. Right after I
confessed, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want,” I cried out, “Lord,
what should I do? Lord, it’s not enough.” For the last two years in our
ministries, our churches and my family have gone through many challenges including
my health issues, and two surgeries in a year. Our denomination was split, our
churches and my family adjusted to three church ministries, and some of us left
our churches. That was not my dream; I have been praying for it. I am still
grateful to have survived, but when I saw the situation, I was discouraged, and
I felt lacking.
While I was
praying for the second stage of ministries for our churches, God encouraged me
with the Epistle of Romans and the stories of ancient heroes who were touched
by Romans. God told me, “Give me your feeling of lack. I will use it as a
resource, fuel, and starter for fullness. You will say again, ‘The Lord is my
shepherd; I shall not want.’ You just need to pray for it.”
Are you
feeling like you're lacking something? Are you crying out to the Lord about
something? The Lord will use your groaning, hurt, and tears as the resources
for you to pray and to return to the real Gospel we need to hold on to.
<St.
Augustin’s Romans>
There was a
boy who was highly intelligent and received a classical education. However, he
led a hedonistic lifestyle, engaging in various pleasures and fathering an
illegitimate son. His mother persistently prayed for him, trying to guide him
toward Christianity for over 30 years. One day, he heard a child’s voice
chanting, “Take up and read.” Feeling a divine intervention, he picked up a copy
of the Bible and read Romans 13:13-14:
“Let us live
honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and
licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”
He had been
struggling with his worldly desires and bad habits but couldn’t resist them
before this moment. He had been wondering about his path, but after this
moment, he turned to God. There was a power to transform him. He was baptized
and became a bishop. Do you know who he is? He is Augustine of Hippo. He was
one of the most influential theologians and philosophers in the history of
Christianity. Augustine wrote many books, including “Confessions,” based on his
life. This transformative moment significantly shaped his theological
contributions, highlighting the powerful impact of Scripture on his faith.
<Paul’s Romans>
Paul probably wrote the letter to the Romans from Corinth during his
third missionary journey in AD 57 (Acts 22:3). The Roman church included both
Jewish and Gentile Christians. Perhaps the Jews from Rome returned from
Jerusalem after Pentecost (Acts 2:10) and founded the church, or it was
established later. Paul hadn't visited this church yet; he was planning to go
to Jerusalem to give an offering and then travel to Rome before heading to
Spain.
He wrote this letter for several significant reasons:
- Introduction: Paul wanted to introduce
himself to the Roman Christians since he had not yet visited them.
- Explanation of the Gospel:
He wanted to provide a clear and comprehensive explanation of the gospel,
outlining theological concepts such as salvation, grace, faith,
righteousness, and the role of the law.
- Unity: Paul aimed to foster unity
between Jewish and Gentile Christians by explaining the Christian faith
thoroughly.
The letter to the Romans is often referred to as “the Gospel According to
Paul.” Chapters 1-11 outline the doctrine of salvation, emphasizing
justification by faith. In chapters 12-16, Paul shifts to practical
application, discussing how Christians should live out their faith through
love, humility, service, and unity within the community. These chapters offer
guidance on ethical living and relationships, embodying the transformative
power of the gospel in everyday life.
<Martin
Luter, John Calvin & John Wesley’s Romans>
The Epistle
to the Romans has had a profound impact on Christian theology and church
history, influencing many key figures such as Augustine of Hippo. Additionally,
three timeless teachers in the Protestant church—Martin Luther, John Calvin,
and John Wesley—were profoundly shaped by Romans.
Pastor
Kibongyang wrote an article about these three great Protestant figures in
Wesleyan times. Martin Luther, a 16th-century German priest, struggled to find
the joy of salvation through human efforts but gained assurance of salvation
through the Book of Romans, realizing that righteousness comes by faith in
Jesus (Romans 1:17). John Calvin built on Luther's theology, emphasizing that
only those predestined by God the Father can receive salvation (Romans
8:28-30). This led to a revival in the Reformed Church but also to some
corruption due to distorted doctrines. In the 18th century, John Wesley, after
a failed missionary attempt and feeling discouraged, experienced a profound
conversion upon hearing a commentary on Romans written by Martin Luther. This
moment led him to realize the assurance of being God's child through the Holy
Spirit, completing the Protestant Reformation and establishing the theology of
the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:16).
Since the
16th century, Christianity has been shaped by three major theologies: Martin
Luther's theology of the Son, “Faith” in Germany, John Calvin's theology of the
Father, “Love” in France, and John Wesley's theology of the Holy Spirit,
“Grace” in England. These theologians embodied the Apostle Paul's blessing in 2
Corinthians 13:13, which speaks of the grace of Jesus Christ, the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
In our church history,
people have struggled, and God has given us the answer from His Word, His
Gospel, especially the Christian Theological letter “Romans” Today’s scripture
gives us hope. If the Spirit of Father who raised the Son of God from the dead
dwells in us, He who raised Christ from the dead will give life to our mortal
bodies also through His Spirit that dwells in us! Trinity God in Good News, The
Gospel will give us life, save us, and deliver us from the dead!
Even though we are
desperate, hopeless, suffering, grieving, and struggling with lots of problems,
if the Holy Spirit dwells in us, we can live again. We are debtors of grace.
(v12) We are children of God by the Spirit. (V 14) We are not slaves of sin, but
we are adopted into God’s family, and say “Abba! Father!” We are heirs of God
with Christ. (v16) There is power to transform and to revival in the Gospel.
Our Spiritual Mentors have experienced that power, and I believe that we can be
another Augustine, Martin Luter, John Calvin, and John Wesley to be adopted
into God’s family!
God assures me that He
would use my feelings of inadequacy as fuel for praying for our churches. I
wrote two poems. One is for me based on three relationships with God, church,
and unchurched people, and the other poem is for our churches according to the
Gospels in Romans.
Let me be a shepherd like this
Youngeun Joyce Kang
Let me be a shepherd with a healthy body, mind, and
spirit
Let me be a shepherd to pray for my churches every
day
Let me be a shepherd to preach the Gospel to everyone
I meet
Let it be a church like
this
Youngeun
Joyce Kang
Lord, let our church confess that we are justified only through faith in
Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:17)
Lord, let our church love God according to His will and
see all things working together for good. (Romans 8:28-30)
Lord, let our church be filled with the Holy Spirit and become one family
that gracefully accepts all your people (Romans 8:16)
Lord, let our church rejoice with those who rejoice and weep
with those who weep both inside and outside the church. (Romans 12:15)
Lord, let our church have the spirit of a martyr in the end times, saying if we live, live to the Lord, if we die
we die to the Lord (Romans
14:8)
Lord, let our church debtors to grace and always
preach the gospel to everyone. (Romans 1:14-15)
Lord, let our church build up family, and community through love, respect, humility, and peace. (Romans 12:3,10,16)
Lord, let our church present our bodies as living sacrifices and be one body in Christ with many gifts. (Romans 12:1-8)
May the God
of Faith, Love, and Grace grant us to restore us as He did to many historical figures,
let us live according to the Gospel, and we can say that “The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want” Amen.
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