아버지의 고백

인생을 성공한 아버지는 누구일까요? Who is a successful father in life?

자녀에게 주는 아버지의 고백 Father's confession to his children

Summary

In this sermon, we reflect upon the role of fathers as unsung heroes in our lives. They provide for us and fulfill our needs, much like superheroes. However, as time passes, we come to realize that even fathers have their vulnerabilities and need a superhero, and that superhero is God. We explore the story of King David passing his kingship to Solomon and how a successful father is one who can share their faith with their children. The speaker shares a personal memory of their father's faith journey and hopes that their children will carry on the legacy of faith. This message underscores the importance of fathers in modeling faith for their children and prays for God's blessings to flow through them into their families.

Script

Just as our friends praised earlier, our fathers are Heroes. They provide for us, fulfill our every request, and are the dads who can create anything for us. They are like superheroes. However, as time goes by, we begin to see that even our fathers have their vulnerabilities. We realize that they are individuals who cannot stand alone without someone's help. We come to realize that our fathers also need a superhero. When it becomes difficult to navigate through lonely and challenging situations, we understand that they too need someone's help. Where can our fathers turn for help? We believe in the Lord God who created heaven and earth.

David handed over the kingship to his son Solomon before his death, and that moment is happening today. As he does so, he makes a final confession in verse 29: 'The king solemnly promised, "As the Lord lives, who has saved me from every calamity."' When David looks back on his life and summarizes it in one sentence, he says, 'God saved me from all my calamities,' and 'The Lord is my shepherd.'

I want to speak to our fathers. What does a successful father, someone who has succeeded in life, look like in front of his children? You can imagine various images. However, I believe that a respected father is one who can confess in front of his children, 'When I look back on my life, this is the kind of God my God was.' Life is a single line. Life is about taking the pen of your own experiences and writing down who God is in your life in the notebook called life. When the Lord calls you later and you present your written notebook to Him, our Father will say, 'My son, you did very well, you did great,' as He places the crown of life on your head.

I reflect on my past life. Every time I do, I remember the message when Jacob called Joseph before his death and blessed him, which is similar to my confession. It is found in Genesis 48:15-16. Let me read it to you in the New Korean Revised Version: 'Then he blessed Joseph and said, "May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the Angel who has delivered me from all harm..."' The God I have recorded in my life notebook is the God who has been with me and led me through all my troubles to the best path. When I was standing alone in the storm, the Lord became my umbrella, and when I was weary under the scorching sun, the Lord became my shade. When I was searching for food, the Lord became my sustenance and my drink. I ate bread and drank water, but in those moments of hardship, I also partook of Jesus. The Lord became my nourishment and my refreshment. Jacob's life spanned 130 years! It was a life of running and being pursued, but through his life, he came to know God, and now he is confessing that God. He may confess with his lips, but in reality, he is confessing with his life, with his very existence.

The God who was with Jacob, the God who has been with me in the same way! My God is 'Immanuel God.' I imagine it sometimes.

There will come a day when our children gather as our spouses and we grow old. In the evening sunsets, our children will come together and ask, 'Grandfather, Grandfather, what kind of God did you meet?' They will inquire about the God who has been with them since birth, and how God has led them through all their troubles. And as we share our life stories with them, they will listen and then, as a family, we will praise God together. 'The Lord is my shepherd; I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.' Isn't this the story of a superhero? I pray in the name of the Lord that such stories of fathers will overflow.

I want to share one more thing. When a father is with God, God is with his children. In verse 37, Benaiah blesses David with these words, 'May the Lord be with Solomon as He was with you, and may Solomon's throne be even greater than yours.' They say children grow up by observing their parents' example. I pray that fathers with beautiful examples will be blessed. Children naturally appreciate fathers who are capable and provide good things for them. However, what truly raises children is when, after providing everything, fathers turn around and show their children how to live.

The sight of a father who prays whenever there are difficulties in the family! There are times when he feels weary and falls down. However, as time passes, God gives him strength, and he stands up again, brushing off the dust. Children see our fathers as strong, but they also see them seeking God and rising again, believing that God will raise them up as children even stronger than their fathers.

When I look back on my life, my mother was the one who sowed the seed of faith in our family. My father received that seed of faith. However, our children have grown up with that seed of faith. Now, we expect the fruits of faith to flow to our neighbors and nations through our children.

When I think of my father, what stands out the most is the day we attended the Jesus Encounter Meeting together on a Sunday morning. Mother had left us and my father lived alone for 14 years. Looking back, I think he relied on and missed Mother tremendously. Having experienced near-death and ruined life multiple times, I can imagine the weight on my father's heart when he stood before his children. Only now, as I grow older, do I begin to understand. In front of a frail and emaciated father, I said, 'Jesus died for your sins. If you believe in Him, all your past sins will be forgiven, and you can join Mom in heaven and live together forever. Can you believe in such Jesus?' 'Yes! I believe in Jesus!' With that one sentence, both of us hugged each other and wept profusely. Both my father and I prayed together to thank God. The salvation prayer my mother had prayed for her husband, which had not fallen to the ground, bore fruit. A few weeks later, my father, alone in his tiny room, sat outside, and ascended to heaven.

That morning was the most beautiful memory I have of my father. Now, I want to share the blessings I receive as I walk with God with our children, and I want them to become children who stand with me and participate in the kingdom of God. What are the most beautiful memories you can recall when you think of your children together with you? What are the memories of your father? There are many memories, but the most beautiful memories will be those when fathers and children pray together, worship together, serve together, and sometimes face difficulties together but overcome them together while doing God's work.

God has given us fathers because, by respecting and obeying visible fathers, we practice respecting and obeying the invisible Heavenly Father. We hope to become fathers who show God to our children. I bless all the fathers here. I pray that God's love will overflow into the fathers, becoming channels of blessing that flow into their families in the name of the Lord.