가진 것이 없다고 기죽어 계십니까?

부활의 주님을 만난 베드로의 고백 The Confession of Peter who met the Risen Lord

요 21:18-19 빌4:12 딤전6:8

세상에 거한 성도의 정체성은 1)하나님의 택하심을 입은 사람, 2)나그네 The Identity of Saints Dwelling in the World 1) Chosen by God, 2) Strangers

사43:20

하나님이 우리를 바라보시는 관점 God's Perspective on Us

벧전 1:20 벧전5:10

Summary

This sermon emphasizes three crucial aspects for believers. Firstly, God's predestination and our identity as chosen ones, offering hope and strength. Secondly, the Holy Spirit sanctifies us, making us distinct from the world, providing joy in this holy identity. Lastly, believers partake in Christ's obedience and bloodshed, living as pilgrims with purpose. The Apostle Peter's letter highlights these themes. As we face challenges, the focus shifts from worldly comparisons to God's plan. We're reminded of our heavenly citizenship, altering our values. Zacchaeus transformed through encountering Jesus, shifting his values. Similarly, our values change after believing in Christ. Thus, we, as chosen ones, sanctified by the Spirit, and participants in Christ's obedience, walk a unique path, distinct from the world's, bearing hope and courage.

Script

Moving away from my homeland and living scattered in Sydney, I offer you and others an introduction to the magnificent mysteries of God's glory through the Apostle Peter. By drawing strength through Jesus Christ, who has become our living hope, and by looking toward the glory of the kingdom, amidst the abundant joy that cannot be found in this world, I encourage you to live boldly, embracing the life of a sojourner, a person of hope, and therefore a person of purpose. Blessings pour forth from these truths as they take root and manifest in the depths of our spirits, breaking down every barrier that weighs me down and troubles me, all in the name of the Lord.

The First Epistle of Peter is a letter written by Peter. He was a disciple who followed the Lord with more fervor than anyone else, a kind of rugby ball that endured both rebuke and praise. Until he encountered the resurrected Lord, he believed in and followed Jesus according to his own stubbornness and understanding. However, after encountering the resurrected Jesus, his life was completely transformed. Recognizing that Jesus is God and the Master of life, he began to live according to the leading of the Lord. In this new path, his greatest aspiration was to "participate" in the sufferings of the Lord. Is this a bizarre story? No! What he realized after encountering Jesus was that by participating in the Lord's sufferings, he would also participate in His resurrection. Through this, he would partake in the power to be liberated from all sins and suffering, gaining authority. While the world might see his life as the most pitiful and unsuccessful, in the eyes of God, he led the most glorious and blessed life. This confession can only be made by those who have encountered the resurrected Jesus, and only those who hope in the resurrection can walk this path.

The resurrected Jesus speaks to Peter in John 21:18-19, "Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go." Jesus' words here hint at the kind of death by which Peter would bring glory to God. After saying these words, Jesus invites Peter to "Follow me!" This was an invitation to the scene of the resurrection. Although he was inviting him onto a path of suffering and death, it wasn't death that awaited him; it was resurrection and glory beyond death that awaited him. This is the Gospel. While the world might fear and suffer before death, for Peter, it was a door to resurrection and life, a door overflowing with hope. This is the confession of hope, not suffering. Yes, the First Epistle of Peter seems to be talking about suffering, but it's singing about hope. It wants to share with us the splendor of God's call, the courage and elegance of walking in the Lord's path, the stories of life that rise up with each step in obedience, the complete restoration that awaits us when the Lord returns. This is what the Apostle Peter wants to tell us.

Indeed, the path we walk is different from that of the world. Our destination is entirely different from the world's. That's why saints cannot live according to the world's ways. Because they know that this world is not everything. Thus, those called as citizens of the kingdom that doesn't decay or fade have a different "perspective" towards the world. After believing in Jesus and experiencing the Gospel, the first change is a change in "values" towards the world. If I say I believe in Jesus but my values towards the world remain the same, then it's not a proper encounter. From the moment I believe in Jesus and make Him my Lord, my "perspective" starts changing. Things that appeared as everything about material now change as the contents of my chosen life. What I liked and couldn't let go of will start prioritizing what God likes. This is the fruit of faith. However, if I attend church but still cling to the world, using Jesus as a means but not as my Lord, then He's not my Lord.

There was a common change among those who met Jesus. A change in "values" towards the world. Zacchaeus had amassed his wealth for himself. But after meeting Jesus, he repaid fourfold those he had wrongly taken from and shared his wealth. No longer was his life focused on material possessions; there was a change in "values." Why did this happen to Zacchaeus? Because he met the reality of true satisfaction and joy, Jesus Christ. The world no longer had a hold on him. The confidence and certainty of faith he gained were evident in his life. In Philippians 4:12, Paul acknowledges that he knows how to be brought low and how to abound. In 1 Timothy 6:8, he testifies to being content with whatever he has. How can we, like Paul and Zacchaeus, confess a change in "values"? Because we come to know "who I am," and "how precious I am.“

Verse 1: "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied."

Who is the "us" referring to? There are two aspects. Firstly, "we are the chosen ones." Secondly, "we are the scattered pilgrims." The Christians receiving this letter were living dispersed across various cities under the Roman rule, facing religious persecution and economic difficulties for their belief in Jesus, often being prevented from participating in labor unions. Their lives were full of discouragement and hardship. However, this letter addresses them as "you, the chosen ones of God," aiming to change their perspective. Dear saints! The one who calls me a saint, a member of the church, is God. Even if the world presses and shakes me, who chose me? "God" chose me, and I believe He established me as an honorable individual. Isaiah 43:20 states, "The beasts of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen." Our God! You provide life to the people walking through lives of hardship and bring the river of life to the land of death. Remember that God chose and called me to the church.

Furthermore, who are "we"? "Pilgrims" or "sojourners." Here, "sojourners" mean "parepidemos," referring to temporary visitors in a foreign land without any rights or protection, like those who come to Sydney for a brief visit. Yes, we belong to heaven and are under the protection of God. Simultaneously, we are "temporary residents" carrying out the mission given by God while staying in this world. My values are stored in heaven, but since I live here, conflicts arise in my faith life. Addressing those who are wavering, Peter exhorts, "Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul." Dear saints! We are pilgrims; do not forget that. A pilgrim's baggage is light; they do not carry heavy loads when traveling. They take what's necessary, and even if something is lacking, it's only temporary. Thus, they go about their tasks with joy, knowing they will return home. Does life's burden feel heavy? It becomes heavy when I worry and shoulder it. However, if I offer that burden to the Lord and follow Him, life becomes easy and light. The Lord's promise to us is "faith" and a "change in values.“

Verse 2: "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.“

Firstly, all of you who believe in Jesus are predestined by the will and plan of God the Father before creation (predestination). "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father..." Our birth, living in Sydney, and practicing faith at HOF Church are not mere coincidences. Even if I struggle through work, visa issues, and hardships, those are all perspectives of the world, the world's values looking at me. But we are not of that view. Before creation, God planned and chose me as an esteemed person. Not only did He know me and choose me in advance, but He also planned to send Jesus to save "me" individually. Refer to 1 Peter 1:20, "He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.“

However, there's another thing to remember. The God who planned to send Christ before creation has a "hope" to call us to the kingdom of glory in the last times of this world. Even if I don't have abundance here and now, it's okay. When the Lord comes again, if I gain everything in heaven, that hope will give me strength, and I believe I'll be a saint who lives boldly without compromising with the world. Look at 1 Peter 5:10, "But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you." Amen! Hoping that God will call me to the kingdom of glory, I bless you in the name of the Lord to become saints who overcome and triumph over the hardships and pains that bind us.

Secondly, all of you who believe in Jesus Christ are sanctified through the Holy Spirit and continuously being sanctified (method). What is the church? It is the place sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Who are the saints? They are those sanctified by the Holy Spirit. That's right. We are the people belonging to God, and I believe that we are the beings who please God the most. It's not about what we do well or poorly, how much we accumulate, or how much success and achievements we have. Even without doing anything, just by existing, believe that God is the one most pleased with me. Because we often try to understand God's love based on our own level of love, we doubt, "Will He really love even someone like me, who is always stumbling without making progress?" We don't understand how vast and amazing God's love is. No, God is pleased with us just for our "existence." Rejoice and know that God is pleased.

When a baby is born at home, parents, grandparents, and relatives are so happy just by seeing the baby. Did the baby give money to the parents? Did the baby clean the house? On the contrary, the baby cries, soils diapers, and cries again – that's all. Yet, the crying baby is so adorable. This is the parents' heart. Where did this heart come from? It's the heart of God the Father towards us.

Even if I am less than others and lacking, it's okay. I might feel disheartened because I don't have anything to show to relatives and neighbors, but remember this. Through the Holy Spirit, who dwells within me, we have been sanctified as a distinct and holy people, set apart from the world. And as the Holy Spirit guides us through the life of a pilgrim, we experience God's power, growing in love for Him more and more, and that is the joy and gratitude of saints.

Holiness is the way saints walk, different from the path of the world. The saints' values are lives set apart from the world. When God is holy, and we are holy, from there, we can experience the work of the Holy Spirit and His grace in a truly exciting faith life.

Thirdly, all of you who believe in Jesus Christ are those who enjoy the obedience of Jesus and the grace of His bloodshed (purpose). This verse has two simultaneous meanings. Firstly, we have become those who enjoy all the grace that Jesus achieved through His obedience and His shedding of blood on the cross. Simultaneously, another meaning is that those who have received Jesus' obedience and His bloodshed are living the life of pilgrims, obeying Jesus and participating in His suffering while living as strangers in this world.

See, we are united with Jesus. As those united with Him, we follow the path He walked while on earth. Although we who are already sanctified by the Spirit walk the path of pilgrims, enduring the trials and hardships, through the life of obedience, we participate in the sufferings of Christ and live a life separate from the world. Just as Jesus healed the world and accomplished restoration and salvation through the holy lives of saints living as pilgrims, the purpose of the lives of pilgrim saints is to bring about the history of salvation, restoration, and the work of grace through a life of obedience.

Let me summarize the message. "Comparison and inferiority" result from forgetting who I am. However, when I fix my gaze on God, the worries and concerns that entered me disappear. I believe that, along with the resurrected Jesus Christ, I can boldly live my life confronting the world and that I am the one who can stand against it.

Who am I? I am the one whom God, who knew and chose me even before creation, will establish even in this fleeting moment of suffering, causing grace and peace to overflow. The Holy Spirit, who still dwells within me, will not allow me to experience the world's material and abilities, but will enable me to enjoy incomparable grace through the wisdom and power of the Spirit. Saints who receive the guidance of the sanctifying Holy Spirit participate in the sufferings of Jesus and the resurrection, leading souls that do not believe to the Lord. This is the life purpose of the pilgrim saints – to hold heavenly values, confront the world, and walk on a completely different path from the world. Hoping that this richness and confidence become my life's confession and ability, I bless you in the name of the Lord.