잠시 근심이지만, 말할 수 없는 기쁨...

신앙생활의 기초는 ’소망‘입니다 The foundation of a life of faith is 'hope.'

고전15:54-57

소망을 가진 성도들은 크게 기뻐합니다 Saints with hope rejoice greatly. Because

히12:1-2

Summary

The foundation of faith is hope. Jesus' resurrection is our hope, enabling us to overcome trials with joy. Trials strengthen our faith, showing it's God's gift. Saints with hope find transcendent joy, even in daily life. God persistently protects us through faith, and our salvation is secure. Trials are temporary; focus on hope and God's power. Our faith, a gift from God, prevails through trials, leading to joy. Our faith in Jesus overcomes any trial. In hardships, seek God's guidance rather than self-reliance. God gives us faith that brings joy amid difficulties. Focus on Jesus, the source of our faith. Trust God's protection and find joy in your faith, even in trials.

Script

The foundation of a life of faith is "hope." We usually think of it as "faith," but without "hope," there can be no "faith." It is a historical and clear fact that Jesus rose from the dead, conquering sin and death. The fact that His resurrection is now ours! The fact that God has given us this hope! So, even though various trials and tribulations come into the life of a pilgrim, that living hope is at work within me, enabling me to overcome and rise again! All the heavenly blessings are already stored up, waiting to be given to us, all because the resurrected Jesus has planted hope in us.

1 Corinthians 15 calls it the "resurrection chapter." However, in the final verses 54-58, the word "victory" is repeated three times. The word "victory" (nikos) appears four times in the New Testament, and three of them are concentrated here. Look at verse 54: "When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." Yes, resurrection is "victory." Victory over sin and death. We are not those who have to conquer sin and death; we are already conquerors over sin and death. That's why "Christianity" is not a one-way "religion" where we only turn to God when we need something, but it's a personal relationship of fellowship and experience. In verse 3, Peter confesses it as "a living hope.“

Yes, "hope" is still alive and active within us today. While going about our daily routines, taking care of our children, sending them to school, and doing household chores, that hope still gives me the strength to live wholeheartedly. Sometimes, during difficult and challenging times, I may feel overwhelmed, but as time passes, that hope rekindles within me and keeps me moving forward.

In Peter's time, even in extreme trials, the living hope worked to bring victory. In this era, we believe that this same living hope will work to bring victory in our daily lives as well. Are we only Christians when we go to the frontlines of hardship or to mission fields? No, we are not. When we remember God and maintain intimacy with Him in the places and situations He has entrusted to us in our daily lives, the hope planted within us will continue to work and bring us victory in any trial.

Therefore, one of the manifestations of saints with hope is "joy." In today's passage, there are the words "rejoice greatly" in verses 6 and 8. This word means more than just "rejoice"; it means "overflowing joy, great rejoicing." It is not the kind of joy that comes from obtaining worldly things. You could be happy for finding money on the street, or getting good grades in an exam, or seeing your children doing well. Those are all forms of "dependent joy" that result from receiving good outcomes. However, the joy mentioned here is a "transcendent joy" that goes beyond circumstances.

Cheon jeong, who is undergoing her 118th cancer treatment, felt her heart sink when she received the diagnosis of cancer. It was truly a difficult time for her. However, since the resurrected Jesus became the Lord within her, a hope stronger than the fear of cancer is at work in her. As a result, she experiences joy that transcends the situation and has stepped up as a minister to fellow cancer patients. She experiences existence as joy amidst the reality of death. This is the power of saints.

In today's passage, Peter tells us to "rejoice greatly" and shares two facts with us.

First, he says to rejoice greatly "because God is protecting us."

This is in verse 5: "who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." The phrase "being guarded" here is a military term that means "to protect strongly when an enemy attacks." But who is protecting us? God is. It is written in the present tense, which means He continues to protect us persistently. Whose power? My own abilities? My own level of skill and competence? No! By God's power...

For several years, the word "Ji-mot-mi" was popular in Korean society. It's a shortened form of "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you." In incidents like the Itaewon incident and the Sewol ferry tragedy, parents, families, and the nation couldn't protect them. But you! God is not a "Ji-mot-mi." We have limitations in our abilities. Parents also have limits to their love for their children. That's why there is sadness and despair. However, if we understand who is protecting us, it will change us.

Dear saints! By the power of God who created the world through His word in the midst of darkness and chaos, who established order, by the power of the One who conquered sin and death, and by the power of His resurrection, God is still protecting us. The world mocked Jesus Christ, who was crucified for all. When they saw Him, His disciples all fled. However, God's power surpasses our thoughts and experiences. In the midst of a world in despair, God sounded the trumpet of resurrection, astounding the entire world. Don't forget that this same God is protecting us now! With my hope in Him, even in moments of despair, in situations of seemingly insurmountable chaos, I will find joy and delight.

Moreover, the protection and salvation extended to us are not temporary. He will lead us all the way until the day when the Lord returns and we are liberated from all. What hope could be more certain and glorious than this! Beloved saints, how amazing it is that this God has become our God, leading and guiding us!

Therefore, in verse 6, Peter confesses: "In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials." So! Because we have a living hope (verse 3), because an imperishable inheritance in heaven is prepared for us (verse 4), because you are being protected by God until the day of salvation (verse 5), "so" ... it's natural to face various trials and unexpected pains in this world. Believing in Jesus doesn't exempt us from such experiences; they happen to everyone. However, remember that it's only "for a little while." It will pass. Therefore, don't dwell solely on the scene of your trials. We believe that as we look to our hope and the God who leads us through the power of resurrection, He will overflow us with joy.

Last week, I had a conversation with a pastor. It seemed he had been praying and serving for a long time for one soul, but there was no apparent change, and he felt impatient. I truly saw him serving with love. It seemed that he was improving a bit, but then things would revert. In such situations, thoughts like, "I can't do anything; if it were someone else, they would have done better..." or "It seems like this should work in this situation, but it's not working..." might have crossed his mind. Therefore, he confessed that there was no joy in his ministry, and he was feeling powerless. I was thankful as I listened to the pastor's confession because he was becoming not someone who was concerned about his business, his family, but an example of someone becoming a father who cares about the spiritual children entrusted to him. The recovery and return of one soul is everyone's joy. However, changing a soul belongs to the realm of God. God has not assigned that role to us. Instead, He desires us to be those who pray, wrestle, and grow as God's people while holding onto that soul. The result belongs to the Lord's realm. If you have a heart given by the Lord while praying, you will run for that soul. If not, you will remain in your place, but while doing so, look at the Lord who is your hope. He will overflow you with joy and comfort, even if there is no fruit in the ministry.

Take a look. We admire and envy David. However, we don't often think about the trials and pains David experienced. If we consider those trials, we might not want to be like David. Running for ten years in the wilderness, fleeing from his own son, Bathsheba and the act of murder to cover up his sin—these were all part of David's life. Yet, our admiration for him doesn't come from "what he accomplished" but from "what he contained and confessed" through his life. Who is God to David? God is his Shepherd and Father. He is the Father who doesn't forsake His child and leads him to the end. This confession was not made in times of success but in times of trials. This is not a theory but a reality. Therefore, David's confessions in the Psalms are what we envy, treasure, and desire. Dear friends! Do not avoid hardships. When trials come, accept them. Cry out to God right there. It is in such moments that you will encounter your hope, the God who has become your Shepherd. This is faith, and it is God's intention to make you experience 40 years in the wilderness.

When God becomes my hope in the midst of such trials, there, we live a valuable life, and in that process, we come to know God even more and hope in Him. Wouldn't joy grow even more in such circumstances? Who truly leads a successful life? Living without such confessions leads to a life of insignificance, unnoticed by anyone, driven by personal beliefs or worldly expectations. However, like David, when we conclude that God is the answer in the midst of failures and consistently approach the Lord in such moments, our life becomes a life of success, a life where joy deepens over time, I believe.

Secondly, the reason for us to rejoice is that we possess 'assured faith' amid our trials. Look at verse 7: 'So that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.' Trials serve 'two' purposes. Just as in James 1:3, trials can make our faith grow stronger over time. As in today's passage, trials can also be an opportunity to confirm that 'my faith' is 'a sure gift from God.' Peter is talking about the latter. If my faith, my belief, is something that I constructed based on my own beliefs or worldly expectations, then when various hardships come, I won't be able to withstand and will falter. However, if it is something given by God, no matter what trials and tribulations come my way, He will enable me to endure victoriously.

Therefore, for believers, trials are a time to meet God, a time to experience the living hope within us, and a time to experience God's protection through His power. It's a moment to confirm the certainty of my faith, the firmness of my faith. When the Lord comes again, this faith will be strengthened even more within me, resulting in praise and honor from God. When I think about this, even in the midst of trials, I can find greater joy in our faith.

So, who leads a successful faith life? It's not a faith without difficulties or trials, but a faith where even as one trouble ends, another may come, a faith that becomes even more solid through the process, a faith that confirms that 'my faith' is 'God's gift.' I hope that, when trials come, your faith is revealed more, showing that it's not 'my belief' but 'God' who gave the sure faith. I bless you in the name of the Lord to be saints who, even in the midst of trials, continually focus on the Lord, expect what the Lord will do, and confess, 'I concentrate on the Lord. I hope for what the Lord will accomplish. Please speak, Lord.' Sometimes, while saying 'I believe,' we may end up trying to do more and follow on our own. In fact, such zealousness is a reflection of 'lack of faith' in not looking to what the Lord will do.

I believe that we have been given a faith by the Lord that can overcome any trial. In our lives, there are worries that come with difficulties. However, those worries are temporary. In the midst of worries, meeting God's protection and encountering the source of faith, Jesus Christ, will lead to moments of indescribable joy and confession. This is a blessing in the name of the Lord for you to become saints where the assurance of your faith, the unwavering nature of your faith, and your undying joy overflow even in the midst of hardships.

Let me summarize the message.

Hebrews 12:1-2 says, 'Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith...' The founder of faith! The one who made the faith we have is Jesus. It's not that I believe, but that when I believe, it's Jesus Himself who is given to me. Faith is Jesus. When we say that 'an unbeliever believes in Jesus,' it means 'believing in the things that Jesus did.' However, when we say 'believers in Jesus,' it's not about constantly saying 'I believe, I believe,' but rather, it's about 'looking to Jesus' who is the source of our faith. Therefore, sometimes, instead of praying, 'Give me the faith to overcome this trial,' we should remember that Jesus is already within us and pray, 'I focus on the Lord. I expect what the Lord will do. Please speak, Lord.' Perhaps it's when we say 'I believe, I believe' while continually trying to do more ourselves that we are actually revealing 'lack of faith'—a lack of looking to what the Lord will do.

I believe that the Lord has given us a faith that can overcome any trial. Every time difficulties come into our lives, there will be worries. However, those worries are only temporary. In the midst of those worries, I believe that you will become saints who find joy beyond measure by meeting the living hope within you, experiencing God's protection through His power, and confirming the certainty and steadfastness of your faith, a faith that the Lord has given you. May you find greater joy in our faith, even in the midst of trials.