Sermon: "The Royal Family" by Edward Chun (April 22, 2018)

Mark 3:20-35

Mark uses a literary "sandwich technique" in the book of Mark. He puts two stories together to create one idea. He is trying to tell us who Jesus is in Chapter 3. First, we find out who isn't in Jesus's royal family.  Secondly, we find out who will never be in his royal family. Finally, we find out who is in Jesus's royal family.

Let's start with who isn't. See verses 20-21. Jesus's family thought he was crazy. Ironically these are people that spent the majority of is life with him.  They find themselves on the outside of Jesus's royal family (vs. 31). Jesus's kingdom doesn't operate like this world. In this world, if you're born into a royal family, you're in and if you're not you're not. It's not like Jesus's family couldn't be a part of his royal family but at this point in time (Mark 3), they aren't.  Jesus's said that his mother wasn't his mother. The reason they're on the outside is that they came to arrest and seize him. He wasn't acting how he would normally act. Even if are in proximity to Jesus (go to church every, born in a Christian family, have Christian friends, and/or listen to Christian music), that doesn't necessarily make you a Christian.Are we controlling Jesus or is He controlling us? We should respond "It's really hard but I trust you!" Always check your heart.

There's one area of the Word that tells us who doesn't belong (vs. 22). Not only did the scribes say that Jesus was crazy, but they also said he was possessed by Satan. Jesus responds in verse 23 by saying "How can Satan cast out Satan (paraphrased)?" Why in the world would Satan cast out his own demons? In verse 27, we see that "the strong man" means Satan and the house means Satan's kingdom. The plunder has already begun. The Royal Family of Jesus is already being established.

Then Jesus gives a severe warning. He mentions the unforgivable sin: blaspheming the Holy Spirit. It means to deliberately or intentionally repudiate the work of God's Spirit though Jesus. That's not to say that people can't turn back towards Jesus. God always forgives those who come to Jesus after rejecting Him before. We all have rebelled and rejected Jesus (Psalm 51). However, when you say Jesus is evil and possessed by Satan, that is the unforgivable sin (vs. 30). The scribes can no longer distinguish between good and evil (Isaiah 5:20). It's unforgivable because you can't repent any more and if you don't repent, you can't be saved.

So who is part of the Royal Family? Whoever does the will of God. It is to do what the scribes aren't doing: Believe! Today if you are struggling to believe, trust, or obey, look towards the Son. Look at the King and spend some serious time with Him. He's the King who bound the strong man on the cross. We can enjoy the plunder in His Royal Family. He has invited us to be a part of his family. Let's accept that invitation.

Scott Worden (The L.A./Seoul Guy)

Instagram: l.a.seoulguy

"Lord of the Sabbath" by Pastor Edward Chun (March 25, 2018)

Mark 2:23-28

The Sabbath was the most important day of the week in Jewish culture. It lasted from Friday night to Saturday night. The two highly revered things in Jewish culture were circumcision and the Sabbath.

Why was it a big deal? God commanded it (See the 4th commandment in Exodus 20:8-11). No one worked on that day. You must rest. Why? God rested when he created Earth. He didn't rest because he was tired. He rested because he was finished. God enjoyed the work that he created.

The Sabbath pointed to the divine order of the universe and God was serious about the Sabbath (Exodus 31:14-15). It's as if God was saying that if you don't rest, you'll die sooner.  This is how we're designed. We'll die if we don't rest enough. How do I know if I'm keeping the Sabbath? Can I cook? Take a shower? Go outside? Drive?

This is where the Pharisees come in. They created many laws to make sure they weren't breaking the Sabbath. Here are some examples they had to follow on the Sabbath:

"You can't tie more than two knots on the Sabbath."
"You can't carry anything heavier than a dry fig."
"Don't sew more than one stitch."
"Don't write more than one letter."
"You can't walk more than 1,999 steps."

These laws and regulations were exhausting and burdensome. In verse 23, the disciples were plucking grains of wheat. In the next verse, the Pharisees called them out but there was a verse that vindicated them: Deuteronomy 23:24-25. This verse showed God's heart. He wanted NO ONE to go hungry. So if the disciples were innocent, what was wrong? They broke the Pharisees manmade laws. They couldn't charge the disciples with walking too many steps or they would have been just as guilty since they were there with them. The Pharisees charged them with working on the Sabbath. Jesus responds in verses 25-26 with a reference to a story in 1 Samuel 21. King David violated the same law but the Pharisees never criticized David because he was the king.  Yet someone far greater than David was in front of them (Jesus) yet they didn't get it. The Sabbath belonged to God (verse 28) and Jesus was making a serious claim that he indeed was God (See also John 1:3).

Think of the universe. Jesus is saying that it all hangs on His power. The Pharisees can't accept it and want to kill Jesus. What does this mean for us? We are to rest from work and not be burdened by the Sabbath. It was supposed to be a blessing for mankind and it was also about peace and trust that God was in control of that day. There was no need to worry. Jesus said he was the source of rest and peace.

Matthew 11:28 tells us to come to Jesus. He will give you rest. Maybe you're restless and tired. Maybe you're worried about the future. Maybe you don't feel good enough, pretty enough, not rich enough, or not holy enough. You might have possibly been disappointed by people. Come to Jesus because he can only refresh you and give you unconditional forgiveness. Jesus died on the cross to give us rest. If you are restless, have anxiety, or fear, go to Christ and make him the center of your life.

Scott Worden (The L.A./Seoul Guy)

Instagram: l.a.seoulguy

Sermon: "Remember" by Edward Chun (December 31, 2017)

Deuteronomy 8:1-10

In Deuteronomy, we have the new generation of Israellites about to enter the Promised Land. The last generation didn't make it. At 120 years old, Moses preaches to the new generation although, he won't make it in. However, before he dies, he preaches a crucial lesson: You shall not live on bread alone but by every word that comes out of the Lord. It's a matter of life and death.

The Lord's words are life but failing to follow Him leads to death. There's no life without God and God doesn't want you to die (Ezekiel 33:11). Jesus says in John that the thief wants us to die, not Him. The Israelites lived in the wilderness for 40 years. God taught this same lesson for that long and God humbled them by leading them to the wilderness. The wilderness is dangerous, uncomfortable, lacks water, and has a shortage of food. They literally have to rely on God for everything.

God also tests them (vs. 2). When God tests us, it's not because he's going to be surprised by how we act. He tests us to see if we'll obey Him. Only when things get hard do we find out where our faith is. When God tests us, he shows us how much pride and sin that we have. Even our best effort isn't good enough. They are filthy rags. God knows that we need grace and mercy, which is why he provided manna to His people.

Maybe you were in the wilderness in 2017 or you're still there. Let me encourage you with these three things: 1) God is leading you. He has not left you and has not forsaken you. He's with you. He's the good shepherd and leads you in the paths of righteousness. 2) Maybe the Lord is humbling you to show certain areas where you're not submitting to Him. He wants to show those things that are killing you. 3) God absolutely loves you. You're not in the wilderness because he hates you. He could be disciplining you (vs. 5). He disciplines the ones he loves.

God gave Jesus His Son. Without Jesus, none of us could follow every word that comes out of the mouth of God. Israel had the same problem. Over and over they sinned and didn't submit. Many died, were disciplined, and then exiled from the Promised Land.

Our rebellious hearts kept us from the Father. Yet God sent his Son who was the only one who lived a perfect, spotless life. He breaks the power of sin by putting our sins on the cross. God gave us a new heart by putting the Holy Spirit in us. As we enter 2018, let's remember that man lives by every word that comes out from the mouth of God. We have grace and the gift of salvation that Jesus gave us.

Scott Worden (The L.A./Seoul Guy)

Instagram: l.a.seoulguy

"My Pain, Your Gain" by Pastor Eddie Chun

Colossians 1:24-29

Can you think of a time when you went through pain physically or mentally but you knew it would be worth it in the end? (Pastor Eddie recalls his time when he did "suicides" in basketball.) It was painful and I expected to be in shape and to become a better basketball player. Would you willing go through some pain for someone else for their gain? Maybe this message can motivate you to say "My pain, your gain."

 Paul is thanking God in this passage because the Colossian church is mostly a healthy church despite some false teaching surrounding it. See verse 24. "I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake..." Paul is not saying something was lacking in salvation due to Jesus's death. Jesus reconciled us on the cross ("It is finished").

Then what is he saying? What is lacking in Christ's afflictions is that Jesus is no longer there physically. All of the suffering Paul is going through is a visual representation of Christ's suffering. See verse 25. Paul's goal was to make the gospel known to everyone. It was his mission in life. He also wanted them to be mature in God. This is why Paul suffered so much. He was beaten, mocked, whipped, shipwrecked, and sick. Why? So others would know more about Christ.

Jesus bled and suffered so we could have the gospel. We're worshipping in Korea because someone sacrificed to bring the gospel here. My father consistently prayed at 5:00am to pray for my family and because of him, I became a pastor. Can you remember the last time you suffered for someone else?

The point is not to seek out suffering. No one likes that and we aren't made for that. We don't have to look for it. Suffering will happen on its own. See John 16:33 and 1 Peter 4:12-13. Don't be surprised when you suffer as a Christian. If you are surprised, you are following the prosperity gospel. The world hates God, so Christians will suffer.

We need to embrace suffering. What does that mean? It means we need to "rejoice in suffering". It means to say that honestly "It hurts but your will be done, Lord." You're thankful because you realize God is doing something in the long term. Maybe it's drawing you closer to God to help others go through the same problem.

What causes people to say "My pain, your gain"? See verses 26-27. "Christ in you, the hope of glory." The mystery of Jesus dwells in every single believer despite lack of holiness because Jesus is that High Priest who sacrificed his life to atone for our wicked sin. He renews us and sanctifies us until He returns. This is why we can rejoice in our sufferings. If this wasn't true, then it would be pointless to rejoice in our sufferings. All of the suffering in the world does not compare to the glory that awaits us (Romans 8:18).

See verse 29. With all of Christ's energy, not Paul's energy, it was Paul's pain for others' gain.


Scott Worden (The L.A./Seoul Guy)
Instagram: l.a.seoulguy