April 28 2024

Sermon Title: Fear God

Scripture Passages: Proverbs 1:7~9

What is God? One way to find out to answer this question, we may look at things that we spend a lot of time. If we spend our money and our time on our health, our body becomes our God.

As disciples of Jesus Christ, we should spend our time to serve God.

84% of people in the US spend their time enjoying life. Entertainment becomes their God.

This enjoyment of life solely focuses on self, knowing about oneself for one’s benefit. That is dangerous because it may end up worshipping an idolatry. 

According to Genesis, “God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” (3: 3-6)

From this story, we know that we like to become God. There are some dictators in the world today who act like God.

However, Proverbs said otherwise, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (1:7)

Today, we need to ask you whom do we worship and how to obtain knowledge?

To be human is that we worship something more than ourselves. Even if smart animals or animals that are similar to humans, they do not know how to and to whom they worship. To worship the deity implies that we believe in something other than ourselves. It also means that we know that we are created in the of image of God. The Psalmist captures: “They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. 6 They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell. 7 They have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk, nor can they utter a sound with their throats. 8 Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.” (Ps 115: 5-8)

Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804~1864) wrote “Great Stone Face and Different White Mountain,” as the story goes, the main protagonist Earnest looked at the big stone for many years. For some reason, he became like the stone. This is not the way of God, however.

Albert Schweitzer captured this insight by saying that “humans become better as they are not self-centred.”

Dear beloved Holy people of Hanshin Church,

When we look at Jesus, worship God, we resemble Christ. “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate[a] the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3: 18) In the same way, “When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. 30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him.” (Exodus 34: 29-30)”

Dear beloved Holy people of Hanshin Church,

When we fear God and worship Jesus, we become changed and glorified like Jesus did.

Secondly, we need to think about how to pursue happiness.

In the modern world, we associate happiness with privacy, self-entertainment. You think if we get privacy and pursue our own happiness, we think we can increase joy. Yet, the opposite phenomenon takes place. Psychologist David G. Myers, (1942~) wrote an article that supports this phenomenon. The title of the article is “The American Paradox.”

While our privacy went up since 1960s, the divorce rate has gone up twice, youth adolescence suicidal rates went up 3 times, the crime rate increased 4 times, prison incarceration rates 5 times, giving birth to dead baby went up 6 times and common-law couples without legal marriage went up 7 times. In short, Kevin Corcoran concluded that when we pursue self-centered happiness, their lives become unhappy. More they pursue happiness, the more they get depressed.

Dear beloved Holy people of Hanshin Church,

Korea has been economically prosperous since 1970s yet our suicidal rates have also gone up and our birth rate is the worst in the OECD country. When pursuing self-centered happiness is the priority, our depression increases. On the contrary, when we pursue self-less life, our life becomes fuller and more meaningful. That is why Jesus said, “Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.” (Luke 17:33).

To fear God is to serve our neighbours in the way we serve God. To fear God is to gain knowledge and this is not just from the Biblical citation. NASA’s top astrophysics scientist Robert Jastrow, (1925~2008) also thought as well when he was in the cosmic universe.  

Dear beloved Holy people of Hanshin Church,

The most important thing in life is to fear God. True happiness comes from God. To fear God is to see the righteousness of God. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6: 33)

Thirdly, we need to be transformed according to the image of God.

The second 10 commandment is neither to make idols nor to bow down to anybody but God. At the same time, let us not make in God’s image. The key to know is that it is God who created us and not the other way around. But we misunderstand and make mistakes. That is why the prophet Jeremiah scolded people “Everyone is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. The images he makes are a fraud; they have no breath in them. 15 They are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes, they will perish”(Jeremiah 10:14-15). And Isaiah said, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord (55: 8).

Dear beloved Holy People of Hanshin Church,

To fear God is the beginning of knowledge.

First, we resemble the one we worship. When we worship Jesus, we resemble the ones we want to be become. When we worship ourselves, we become narcissist and that is the ugliest way of life. 

Secondly, let us pursue happiness. But let us know indulge happiness as if we worship happiness. When we fear God, God provides genuine happiness. 

Thirdly, people tend to make God like us. But it is God who makes us in God’s image. Let us worship God. Let us fear God.

Amen and Thanks be to God.

Translated by the Rev. Dr. Prof. HyeRan Kim-Cragg