Sermon: "Crown of Thorns, Crown of Victory" by Pastor Andrew Gu

Mark 15:16-20


Before Jesus is to be crucified, he's led into the Governor's quarter. About 500 soldiers are called in after Jesus has already been beaten. These people mocking Jesus for being "The King of the Jews" were doing it in the king's palace. He was dressed in purple which symbolized royalty. It's doubtful that it was real purple since real purple was expensive. It was probably a faded scarlet robe. Then they put a crown of thorns on him and mocked him by kneeling and saying "Hail! King of the Jews!". Next, they "honor" him by hitting him with a reed and spit on him again and again (NIV). After that, they put on his regular clothes so that he can be crucified. Finally they "worshipped" him. It's highly insulting since Jesus deserves ALL of our worship and they gave him a fake and insulting kind of worship.

What about us? We call him "king" but we insult him with the way that we worship Him. We are no better than these soldiers. When things don't go the way that we want, we rid ourselves of Him. Just because we bow, wear nice clothes, and show it outwardly, that doesn't mean that we are really worshipping Him. Are we showing halfhearted worship and obedience?

Jesus did nothing wrong and even Pilate knew this (vs. 14) or in John's account "not guilty". He said "What wrong has he done?" He had done nothing but heal people and do good for them. Yet Jesus doesn't fight back. Why not? Jesus was on a mission (Isaiah 50). There was a huge problem: our sin and our rebellion towards God. God's way is always better. Something was wrong in the world. The soldiers were saying Jesus was weak, not worthy, and a fake king. Yet what they were doing was that he was actually worthy ironically.

He came to rescue us because we needed rescuing (Galatians 3:13). Jesus willingly subjected himself to abuse and mockery for our behalf. It's a triumphant endurance (Spurgeon). Thankfully it isn't the low point of the story. It's the climax. This is the story of redemption and sacrifice. His death is not a defeat. It's the victory. The crown is not just used to symbolize royalty. It symbolized victory.

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

Instagram: l.a.seoulguy

Sermon: A Real King's Banquet (July 8, 2018) by Pastor Andrew Gu

Mark 6:30-44

There are only two miracles that are covered in all five of the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John): The Resurrection and the feeding of the 5,000. If that's the case, then the feeding of the 5,000 must be pretty significant. It's also not an accident that the story came after King Herod's banquet in the book of Mark.

In verses 30-44,  we know that the disciples were tired and wanted rest despite the crowds continuing to seek after Jesus. Jesus's disciples were annoyed and didn't want to deal with the crowds. However, Jesus wasn't annoyed and he showed compassion, patience, and affection towards them. The way we view people shows how we should respond. The disciples saw it as a disadvantage. They were thinking that if they have that many people, how could they feed them? Jesus saw them as people that needed guidance and love. Maybe that's why you're here today. You've heard of Jesus and want to know more about Him.

Jesus never gets tired of meeting our needs. Jesus's compassion has no end. Jesus was tired but still taught them. When Jesus teaches us, he refreshes our spirits.

In verses 35-44, we see Jesus continuing to teach, but dinner time is approaching and everyone is hungry. The disciples quickly forgot and said that they should send the crowds away. They thought it would be an impossible task to feed them. The disciples saw Jesus do many miracles, so you would think that they would have the attitude that Jesus was going to take care of it. But they're humans. They quickly forgot and panicked. On the other hand, Jesus  was in control and focused on what they had and not on what they didn't have. Jesus told them "You lack nothing". Jesus + Nothing = Everything.

What they don't realize is that they're about to have a feast (vs. 39). They're in the wilderness but Jesus tells them to sit on the green grass. There's a lot of imagery here. Green tells us that it was spring time. This story reflects a picture of life and abundance. In the English version, it says Jesus told the people to sit down. But in Greek, he actually said "recline". He's using banquet language. A banquet is a festive celebration and there's plenty to eat.

Who was invited to Herod's banquet (Mark 6:14-29)? Only the elite and most important. It's invite only. Jesus's banquet is in the open field and everyone is invited. Herod's main event was for his own self-indulgence and provocative dancing. Beautiful women would parade in front of him to please his own desires and no one else's. Jesus's banquet focused on all of his guests and he made sure everyone was taken care of. He saw them as sheep without a shepherd. Jesus did whatever he could for the benefit of his sheep. Power corrupted Herod and killed a righteous man (John the Baptist). Herod used his power in a wicked way. Jesus is all-powerful but he isn't corrupt. You can trust Him because he uses his power for the good of his people.

A true shepherd (1) provides, (2) guides, and (3) protects his sheep. Herod fails in all of these. In Jesus's banquet, a righteous man eventually dies. The person that dies is the host of the banquet and by his own choice. He did this so that others could partake in the banquet. In Jesus's banquet, they all ate and were satisfied. Jesus always gives us what we need. We are all invited to Jesus's banquet. His nails in his hands show how much he loves us. See Isaiah 25:6-8. You can also read how much Jesus has to offer you in Psalm 23. Will you join in his banquet?

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