Luke 10:25-37
Sunday Morning – 25 Nov 2018 10:44:57 am
The Word of God has power and to those who receive it can be huge power and blessings.
It’s been a bit more than 32 years since I received salvation. I have many testimonies which most of you have heard.
When the Word of God enters your heart, all darkness will disappear.
When it comes to the heart, there are many different forms. The first can be compared to the wayside, the second to the thorny field and the third a stony field and the fourth a good field. Those who received the Word like the good field are able to produce thirty, sixty, and a hundred fold and more.
I know of a pastor who when he was very young was jailed because of stealing garlic with his friends. In fact, his friends and him did it but he stood up for his friends and in the end, only he was jailed and the others went scot-free. When he was released from prison, and when he returned home, he saw the leader of his village at the entrance and he raised his thumb to him saying, “Later on, you will become a great man! All your friends were cowards but you, you are a hero!” From then on, this Word stuck to him. He thought that he would be a great man and this word got stuck in his heart.
He could do not small works anymore. Even though he was an assistant in a sewing factory later on, in his heart, he could not do it because he deemed himself a great man. He looked for another job and he could not survive. He thought that the world was against him and he thought the world was wrong and unfair. Even I train missionaries at the moment, and I can see that those who trust in themselves cannot have the flow of the heart of God in them for they are exalted. When pastor Park trained us, he said that we had already become pastors in our heart, which is why we cannot listen. This is a problem.
Anyway, later on, this man tried to rob money with his gangster friends and in the end, he ended up killing one person. He was subsequently jailed for 17 years. In prison, he was still so violent that he even once tried to kill a jailer with a knife that he sharpened and honed for months using the tongs available.
Folks, the one word of compliment that entered his heart made him so exalted.
Let’s say that you scored 100% in your final exams and people compliment you and say that you are a great man. This exalts the position of your heart if you receive it. Many people care about this.
As I meet people who are about to divorce, one spouse thinks that one is better than the other and the other thinks of it the other way. This is why they clash and so they exalt their heart.
Let’s say if the wife says “I am so thankful he is living with a person like me”. How thankful will this be? But they think instead “Without me, this household will never work out!” Isn’t this true? All problems occur because of the position of the heart.
If you think about the Words we read today, the lawyer asked “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” It means he believes that he can do something about himself. Even though we may know nothing about the law, if we feel that we can do something, then our heart is just like this lawyer in the bible.
The commandment may be summarised as 1-4 being about the love of God and 5-10 being about laws relating to humans. The question the lawyer asked was fundamentally wrong.
On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.””
Luke 10:35-37 NKJV
Jesus was essentially telling the lawyer to go to the state of the half-dead man and then he would know who the true neighbour is. This is what Jesus meant by saying “Go and do likewise”. Yet, for many people, they feel that they have to do things. This is because they are confined in the law. This is why they think that they are the ones who have to be the Good Samaritan.
From our very birth, we are not born as saviours. From birth, we are born to be saved.
“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—”
Romans 5:12 NKJV
We are people thus who cannot help but only die in sin.
Some ask me, “Pastor, what about babies – they are born and have they done anything wrong? Yet if they die, will they go to hell? How can they be cursed when they look so cute and innocent?”
When I had my second child, one day, my second baby screamed all of a sudden. What happened? Well, the first child was poking the eye of the second child. My daughter nearly lost her sight. My first child thus got smacked a lot (for disciplinary reasons – in Korea this is ok). My first child was so jealous.
Folks, as children grow, their sinful deeds grow more and more. E.g. children when young may lie, when they become teens they have sexual inquisitiveness and desire, etc.
“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.”
Psalms 51:5 NKJV
Folks, we were conceived in sin. That means, from our very birth, we were in sin and we were sinners. Thus, we think that when we do evil, then only we are sinners. But this is wrong. We are sinners from our very birth and this had nothing to do with our deeds and actions.
People hold on to their own standards and they do not really know who they are.
I shared the Word to one person recently. He told me, “Pastor, you say that we have no more sin because of Jesus. But yet, you also say that we are still only evil continually! How does this make sense?”
Folks, God made this world and Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of the tree of Good and Evil (TGE) and all people were born through Adam and Eve. Thus, since then, the people born were different from the heart of God. That is, they contained the heart of Satan which constantly exalted them and this is how we lived.
In John, it says that unless one is born again, they cannot see the kingdom of God. What does this mean? We were born as sinners first. But we have to be born again as a righteous person.
Folks, can you achieve the state where you have no sin by yourself? I tried but it was so tiring for me. I made up my mind not to go to church anymore. However, in the army, I heard the gospel from a born-again person. I was shocked. The first thing I heard was from Luke 10 – that I was trying so hard to be the Samaritan man rather than the half-dead man. The bible says clearly that we are sinners to begin with. This means that we are the HDM who only needs saving. Our spiritual life commences when we realise that we are in the position to be saved. If we have never been in this position, then even though we may have the gospel, we have not received salvation. Once you clearly understand that there is nothing for you and that there is nothing you can do, then you are very close to salvation. You will become to hear the Words of God and be very thankful.
“Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.”
Psalms 1:1-3 NKJV
This is about blessings.
Last week, pastor Kim from Malawi came and testified to us. He spoke about how pastor asked him to just do it with regards to beginning the construction. As I heard his testimony, I remembered the promise that God gave to pastor Park:
“Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession.”
Psalms 2:8 NKJV
This means that in this Promise, whatever pastor Park asked of him to do, it would only be successful because God had already given all the nations for His inheritance.
Pastor Park has this Word seared into his heart. This is why his answers are usually very simple. Because he has this promise.
Folks, we have this Christmas Cantata on 21st December – and its success has nothing to do with our ability. However, through this Word as promise, we cannot help but be successful.
Many people do not have the Word of God but go about doing the works of the gospel. This is why they are troubled and struggle in their spiritual life.
Once there was a young man who had his Ford car broken down and he was trying to fix it. An elderly man was sitting by the bench and watching him. He asked if the young man whether he could help or not. But the young man did not regard him as worthy and just politely declined. A second time, the elderly man asked again but he was disregarded. After a long while he was so exhausted and could not fix his car. So for the third time, the man asked if he could help. When he was so tired, he just gave in and the man fixed the car in a jiffy. Soon, the car started and was ready to go. The young man thanked him profusely and asked him who he was. The elder man was actually Henry Ford, the maker and founder of Ford cars.
Folks, are you doing the work and struggling by yourself like this young man? Have you not given your life to the creator of your life who is God?
When I fixed cars at Hyundai, we had manuals. Likewise, for our life as well, we also have manuals for our life which is the bible. Through the bible, you will be able to identify the problems in your heart. Secondly, you will learn how to abandon your thoughts. Thirdly, you will be able to see how God works for you.
The lawyer trusted in himself way too much thinking he could achieve eternal life through his works. But Jesus wanted to show him his true position. Fact is, we are like the lawyer who is actually the HDM. We all need the saviour like the Samaritan man who actually is Jesus. This is why God tells us that we are the wrong people.
A few days ago, I had fellowship with a brother who had some misunderstandings.
“Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
Genesis 6:5 NKJV
Noah saw himself through these Words which showed him his real image.
“But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.”
Genesis 6:8-9 NKJV
If we can draw a clear line in your spiritual life between works and grace, then you will be blessed.
Later on, Noah got drunk and he was naked. His sons learnt about his state. But there were those (Ham) who dealt with the eyes of works and the other (Shem and Japheth) who dealt with the eyes of grace.
The man who was imprisoned and whom I was referring to is indeed our pastor Kim Ki Sung who is now a minister in our mission. He changed so much after receiving salvation in prison. His position of the heart was so lowered. He was so happy and so surprised. He realised how wrongly he lived his life. He thought he as going to be a great man, but this thought only led him to be behind bars.
Why do people become miserable? Because they do not know the position of the heart.
This gospel is so amazing. Firstly, it saves us from sin. Secondly, it tells us how to live. That is, the innkeeper in Luke 10 represents the minister and the inn represents the church. This is how we dwell until Jesus comes again. The head of the church is Jesus. If you can receive Jesus into your heart, then you can place your heart in a low position. If you can maintain humility in you, then there are so much blessings that you can receive.
Jesus asked the lawyer “Who among these three were the neighbour to the HDM?” And the lawyer replied “the one who showed mercy” and Jesus said “Go and do likewise”. Does this mean we ought to be good and kind and compassionate? Was that His focus?
Also in John 8, Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery (WCA) “Neither do I condemn you, go and sin more more”. I wondered what “go and sin no more” meant. Does it mean I have to try to be good? And as I asked senior pastors, I discovered that it is not that I have to be good. I am now a slave and so I should be led to not sin. It is the master’s responsibility.
“For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
Romans 8:6, 8 NKJV
What does it mean by the flesh cannot please God.
One day Moses went up Mount Sinai and he did not come down for a long time. So the people asked Aaron to make a god for them and they donated all their gold ornaments. So with the melted gold, out came a golden calf. As Moses saw these, he broke the tablets of stone. Moses then asked the people who were on his side to go to him. The Levites did so and there was a great slaughter up to about 300,000 people. And God said “You Levites have been loyal to me”. The concept our level of loyalty is very different to that of God’s. When the Levites came to God, they operated on faith. This is how they ignored their conscience. People who look at their conscience cannot step into the world of faith.
When Jacob saw himself as well, how could he call himself Esau? But the Words of his mother set him free and he received it as the Word of God, which helped him overcome his conscience.
When one overcomes the you can be condiment. Then you can say that you are righteous by going beyond your conscience.
“For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
Romans 8:13 NKJV
Why is it that if you live according to the flesh you will die? Because carnal mind brings death. Whatever comes from our flesh cannot please God. God is spirit. Spirit means Word. If we can receive His Word and live by it, then God would call us righteous. Then God said that you travel with Him. If you can travel with God, then you will follow the Word and not your thoughts.