Matthew 24:28-29
Sunday Sermon – Mar 2019 10:44:55 am – Pastor James Yang

As I read the bible, I often feel the heart of God.

When Jesus entered the city called Nain, the amazing thing is that the people who were walking towards the burial for the dead son of the widow, stopped as Jesus touched the coffin. Isn’t this amazing? Jesus can stop death taking over.

When I met with the president of Kiribati, I asked him if he had sin and he said that he did. So I told him that he lied. He was shocked. Then I opened the bible to show him:

“All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭53:6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

As I shared with him these verses, he was so surprised. He read his own Kiribati bible. Then he could agree that he was indeed righteous and without sin. The whole room clapped for him.

Today’s focus is on how the burden of Jesus is easy and light. Our burdens are heavy – these being disease, sicknesses, problems here and there. If you step into the world of Jesus, you can rest. But if you step into your own heart, you will only be burdened and so on.

The original meaning of “sabbath” is unconditional rest. As per the law of Moses, sabbath is from Friday twilight to Saturday twilight. But Jesus refers to Himself as the master of the sabbath. This means that in Jesus, you can rest. For instance, you may have domestic problems, or sicknesses and so on. But the moment you give this to Jesus, then you can rest.

Many claim to believe Jesus, however, in their heart, they cannot rest.

“Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.”
‭‭John‬ ‭6:5-6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

In this passage, Jesus asked Philip because Jesus wanted to test him. Philip however, wanted to calculate. His heart and our heart are so different.

Jesus already knew what He would do. When God allows a problems to us, God already has the answers and the solutions.

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11:28‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

One day in the army, I was test driving a car. It was a jeep of a commander that was making a lot of noises. It was 8pm in the evening. There was a noise the car was making. So I drove back and on a curved road, a 62 year old elderly woman who was holding a bottle of Soju, appeared and I street sharply to the left. But my side mirror hit her and she fell to the grand. She bled so much. I smelled the blood and it was terrible. In the hospital, they confirmed that 3 ribs were broken and there was a 17mm cut. Her right arm then had to be cut off. I was so stressed and I could not do anything.

The entire hospital fee costs were around $4,500. I had no clue as to how I could pay it off.

But brother Kim (who is now ministering in Bangkok, Thailand) who preached the gospel to me said, “Brother Yang, this is all God’s responsibility, so it is not your problem but God’s problem.” I was so relieved to hear this. I gained the heart that whatever problem I faced in my life was no longer my problem but the Lord’s problem. It was all passed over to Jesus.

After 2 months, everything was sorted out very neatly. I am so thankful. What brother Kim told me then was so biblical as it really gave me rest.

“But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭6:17-18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Slaves do not have responsibilities but owners do. Problem is that many people live as masters of their own lives. It is important to understand that it is really sin that made them sin and not we who committed sin.

There are people who live their lives according to Jesus. There are people who live their lives according to their ability. It is Jesus who gives us rest. If you are unable to rest inside the church, then you are being deceived. This is why spiritual life is about emptying yourself. Once you do so, then you can rest.

“(as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.””
‭‭Romans‬ ‭4:17-22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

In the beginning, Abraham’s heart was closely connected to his flesh. But when he discarded his own heart and moved to the heart of God, then their hearts became equal.

With our standards, our hearts can never be equal. But with God, even though it does not exist, God can consider it as existing. Thus, how can humans even understand creation? We humans can only manufacture. We cannot create something from something that does not exist. But God can make it exist.

When airplanes fly, it can only take off because of air resistance. The higher the resistance, the higher the take off point.

For us, our situations and our problems are like the resistance. Then only, our faith can take off and so that we can take off higher and higher.

My friend pastor Hur In Su, once had leukaemia. His friend pastor Kim Dae In who ministers in Myanmar heard about this and gave him the book “The secret of Forgiveness and being born-again”. So while he was dying, he read the book and he came upon the testimony of pastor Park how he had stomach ulcer and was healed by believing in the Word. So from his heart, he believed that he was also healed from leukaemia. He started to help his father in the farm and he believed that he was healed. Even in the retreat, he was able to work in a place that was full of dust. He believed that he was healed and so worked happily there.

He later ministered in Durban in South Africa for nine years and he contracted cancer. As his body was so bad, he had to return to Korea. He had cancer six times and all these times he was healed. Pastor Park told him that just as how he was able to be healed from leukaemia before by relying on the Word, he could be healed for the cancer as well in the same way.

As he heard these words, he was able to be healed. So pastor Hur suggested to his church members – “Any one of you who have a cancer, please throw a party!”. This is so weird, right? But with the heart at rest in God, you can say such things. Since then, in the mission, all brethren who had cancer, could receive strength and throw a party.

Last week, he passed away. Although he died, yet the faith in God in him did not.

As you step into God, you can truly rest in the heart.

Now as you rest in God, you can only be hopeful and thankful. For the Israelites who moved their hearts to God, they could rest and was not bothered even by the fiery serpents even though it was around to bite them.

We cannot see our future. Do you know why? So that we can believe in Jesus. It is such a great thing that you cannot do anything by yourself. Only in this position, you will be able to rest in Jesus.