"The Gospel" HBF Easter Conference 2017

So thankful for a blessed conference this year!

He is Risen!

Happy Easter HBF!

Joanna Yu Easter 2017 Message

No Confidence in the Flesh

Philippians 3: 1-14                              

KV: 10-11 “ I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,  and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.”

Hi, I’m Joanna. I’m a senior at Lincoln Park High School. And I am also part of Chicago HBF. I just want to say congrats! You guys have made it to the last message. I thank God for the words he has spoken to you guys through Deborah, Olivia, Jessica, and Joanne’s messages. If we look back, we thought of the death and resurrection through Deborah, Olivia, and Jessica. Yesterday we saw the importance of the Gospel and grace in Joannes message. Today, we will focus on a passage also written by Paul except this time in Philippians, a passage that looks at one person, Paul, and how he lives his life according to what he gained through the gospel. Through this passage I pray that the Holy Spirit may come and speak into your hearts. I’m gonna say a quick prayer.

Part 1: No Confidence in the flesh (1-7)

            Paul’s letter in Philippians is a letter to the church in Philippi. He writes first as an encouragement to them due to the pressure and large influence against the word surrounding the church. Chapter three of Philippians is part of Paul’s letter that serves mainly as a testimony to the power of resurrection faith over his life and through this passage, Paul talks about not putting confidence in our flesh. From verse 1 we know that this is not the first time Paul has written to the church and that there is this importance in the repetition and reminder of gospel lessons. He tells the church to “Rejoice in the Lord!” as not only a greeting to them but also an encouragement of where to get joy from and a subtle reminder that this is the basis of fulfillment. From then Paul warns the church in verse 2 to “Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh.”  Because of the occurrence of false prophets, persecutors of the church and those who were bound to legalistic practices. Instead he encourages them that they should not be bound by legalism.  if ________ could read verse 3. “For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh.”  Through verse 3, Paul reminds the church of Philippi that they are more than qualified to claim that they are genuine Christians because they do not rely on practices of the flesh which wereback in the olden days, symbolized by circumcision. Rather that they serve God and are driven by the spirit. That among everything they do not put any assurance of their faith on practices of the flesh. Paul then uses himself as an example of how limited we become if we value everything on our flesh because, if you look back to his life when he was Saul, he was perfect in regards to the law. Verses 5 and 6 exemplify the qualifications that Paul had and it reads “Circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.”  Paul had dedicated his life thus far to perfecting his accomplishments to be exemplary and on the basis of the law his faith was close to perfect. Paul was qualified from the very beginning of his birth and carries forward these qualifications into his adulthood. Imagining someone like Paul today seems a little difficult but if you think about it, Paul’s situation correlates to someone who is good at everything. To put it into more realistic terms, it would be someone who has everything. Like someone who seems to have everything, and I mean everything together. (MENTION SOMEONE). Yet Paul discloses to us in verse 7 that even with the utmost qualifications he possessed, all of it meant absolutely nothing to him and because they meant nothing, he gave them up. Think of that. He gave up comfort, stability, and everything else that he expected would give him a sense of satisfaction. What could possibly have made Paul give those things up?

Part 2: Knowing Christ (8-11)

While we might view it as a huge loss for Paul, in reality it really wasn’t and he lets us know in verse 8. Can I have _____ read verse 8.  “What is more I consider everything a loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.” Paul makes it clear to mention that what became his gain was knowing Christ, and because of that he was able to consider everything else that he had so far as garbage. It wasn’t his higher education or pursuit of Christians but it was that he was able to say he was striving to know Christ which was worth so much more. What Paul is mentioning here in verse 8 is that realization of Jesus as his most basic necessity, that his entire life’s work amounts to nothing, brings no lasting fulfillment, and cannot and will not do anything for him if it is not rooted in his strive to know Christ. It seems that the most common misunderstanding of Paul’s mention of “knowing Christ” is that it is confused with “knowing of Christ.” These are two very different things. Knowing of Christ is the knowledge you have about him, alike the knowledge you have of any other person. It requires no personal connection, no relationship, and realistically never progresses past the relationship of two acquaintances. What Paul had was very different, Paul knew Christ. What that meant was that he talked to Jesus, got to know the in’s and out’s, and if you want to think about it in a humanistic sense, he got to know what Jesus liked and disliked, his favorite things to do, his favorite prayer activity, and what made him passionate, all the characteristics of genuinely getting to know someone. In verse 9 we learn even more so that getting to know Christ is only possibly through the faith that was made possible in when Christ was crucified and resurrected. Paul makes it very clear to mention that there is no more reliance on the law, but instead there should be reliance on faith. (MENTION BEST FRIEND)

Paul’s confession in verse 10 hits two major points that he wanted to point out to the church in Philippi. One, that he views Christ as a necessity and because he does so he is able to assert with confidence “I want to know Christ.”  Paul mentions here that he wants to know Christ. Paul WANTED to know Christ. When we want something, we get it. Whether that be a candy bar from the store or to do well on a test . And this want that Paul describes is as simple as that. As simple as spending time with Christ in prayer. As simple as talking to him and as simple as reading a verse a day. Because Paul declared that he wanted to know Christ, his heart was in the right place to pursue it.  Second, he was able to strive to know who Christ was through the second half of verse 10 and verse 11 which states “to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his suffer, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.”  Clearly, what Paul meant was not that he was going to physically die or to get crucified just to go through what Jesus went through. But what he meant by the participation is Jesus’ sufferings was the hardships he faced. Through those hardships he is able to come closer and closer to Christ and as result closer to knowing Christ. So what Paul describes to us in verses 10 and 11 is his confident claim in wanting to know Christ and the process in which to do so. Paul’s very clear intention to know Christ motivates his entire life and it is only possible through the power of Jesus’ resurrection.

Part 3: Pressing on toward the goal (12-14)

            Paul’s testimony of the changed life he lives does not end there, his encouragement to the church in Philippi as well as to us is to press on toward the goal. He tells us that even after he gave everything up, after he developed this passion to know Christ that he is not at the goal yet. Fear not though. In verse 12 he says “Not that I have obtained this or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold for which Christ Jesus has took hold for me.” Paul is motivated to press on because that is exactly what Jesus did for Paul. However, what is the goal that Paul is referring to. The goal that he mentions and motivates us to look to is to be able to fully know Christ. This might seem extremely difficult because we are limited in our abilities to know the full extent of Jesus; however this is exactly why Paul is encouraging the church in Philippi. He tells them how he has changed and how he keeps pressing on toward what he now is able to say is his true goal. Verse 13b reads “But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.”  Now you might think that if we cannot ever know the full extent of our Christ Jesus, than what is the point of Paul trying to encourage us. The whole pursuit is futile. Right then, Paul knows just the right thing to say and does so in verse 14. Can _____ read it. “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” This is the reason for the pursuit. Without knowing there is an eternal prize there is no comfort in the hardships that we go through on earth. But we do have a goal and the result of which is our prize, that is our calling to heaven to be reunited with our Lord in an eternal life. This “eternal perspective” of our life and the hardships that occur in them give us hope to press on as Paul says. The prize that we gain is heavenward and thus it lasts forever. What we gain on this earth will only take you so far and because of that we look forward to what will last forever and what God has called us for. Our citizenship is heaven. Meaning that as citizens we have an essential belonging to a particular community.  More importantly our belonging is in heaven and not on this world. This is our comfort, that we are not here to live for what this world has to offer but our finality belongs with our Savior Jesus. And because of this fact, our motivation is to life that focuses on developing a relationship with God.

In the same way that Paul was motivated to press on, we should also be encouraged that despite

hardship and struggle that our pursuit of Christ is not futile by any means. That to know Christ is to live a life that is constantly motivated by our strive to know Christ.  That by the death and resurrection, through our faith on the basis of the spirit, that we WILL be reunited with God in heaven and when that happens we will have arrived at our goal, our goal to know Jesus our Lord and Savior.

Reflection

So, flashback to these last 3 months.  I felt as though I have been working so hard to gain some type of success, to make me feel like I was worth something more. I had channeled my inner Saul and decided that I was tired of feeling so less than compared to those around me. I tried so hard to succeed in school and I remember very vividly working so hard on this one Chemistry test that I had coming up. I had made study guides, practiced problems, and reviewed endlessly. Yet when I got the grade back I saw that I had completely failed it. Just when I thought I was getting somewhere, and yes it is one Chem test but it was difficult being told that the one subject that I thought I was good at, the one subject that I liked, was just another reminder of what I was not good at. What came about in the months after was a vicious cycle of failure despite my effort, limited success, and not long after, feelings of bitterness, hate for those around me, and a sinking feeling of being completely worthless. Somehow I had made up in my mind that my worth was completely dependent on what I was able to succeed at, what successes I achieved and that is what fueled my everyday mentality. Each failure was met with a mindset that said I would not be good enough; I would not be worth enough until I achieved something. I got it stuck in my head that God wanted only my success. That failure is not in his dictionary and that to please him and to please myself that I had to gain value in terms of this world. When the semester ended God blessed me and in his accordance I was able to get straight A’s for the first time since like 7th grade and a couple months later I got accepted into a top university and while it seemed like I gained so much, I felt absolutely nothing. It seems so stupid to complain about such a great success but in reality when it seemed like I had achieved so much, is when I was reminded even more so how worthless I still felt. I felt like I hadn’t actually gained anything of worth, that no matter how many A’s I might have gotten on a report card that I wouldn’t be as good as the next semester. That even though Northwestern was such a great school and that so many people regarded it highly, that it was just another school. I couldn’t celebrate even though I was expected to be overwhelmingly ecstatic about my situation. This expectation of my self-worth to suddenly go up like points on a scale faltered and instead of feelings of bitterness overcame me. I was left completely at a loss. I expected fulfillment and happiness and yet again I was left unsatisfied and full of frustration of why. But Paul lets us know that God wants the exact opposite. Paul, while perfect in the legalistic manner, was nowhere near perfect in what God actually wanted from him and his faith. What He wanted from Paul was this pursuit to know Christ and that is what Paul found. 

Its funny because I went into this message writing completely excited and ready to learn a new word and be able to share it with HBF and MBF. Soon after the message writing process began, I felt an overwhelming feeling of dread. I was no longer enthused, I was behind the schedule every week and within a span of 2 weeks I felt completely unmotivated to share any type of message and especially not on a passage that had no connection to me whatsoever. Paul was cool, he was admirable, and he gave up his accomplishments to seek Christ. Objectively speaking, Paul was encouraging. And while I was 100% sure it encouraged thousands of people over hundreds and thousands of years, I, myself, found no source of encouragement. Each week I became less encouraged and with the dread of writing and sharing a message piling up, it was purely a source of stress and nothing more.

While sharing testimonies within our senior message group one Friday, Miriam, an HBF leader told me something along the lines of “I think you just need to wrestle with the Word.” And while my sounded really helpful, I still left the meeting feeling underprepared, under qualified, lacking any ability, and confused about how I would go about “wrestling” with God’s word. While I would like to say that something in me changed, it didn’t. I spent that long weekend with those same feelings. On the following Monday, I decided I should just muscle through it and at least have something even if it wasn't good. That evening I had what I would like to call a little scuttle with God’s word. God had made it very clear to me as he did to the women in Olivia’s message and the disciples in Jessica’s message and I was able to see where Paul was coming from and that what was important was the shift that he had when viewing what were gains to him. What Paul considered as his wins and losses, his priorities, his values all came down to his will to know Christ. And consequently, it made me question what I considered as my values and priorities especially considering my confident claim that I am a Christian. Even though I knew that the right answer was to “Know Christ”, it really was not. My first realization was that my priority was not in knowing God and that my life was not motivated by my pursuit to know Christ.

Fast forward to later that week, I had actually wrestled with the word. I had sat down to write the second half of my message and for some reason I still felt unmotivated despite having my first realization earlier that week. While reading V.10 again I felt a sense of rebuke. God asked me why I had put all my confidence in my own abilities and into my own I accomplishments. Why had I amounted my worth to what I could accomplish by my flesh alone. Thinking back to that one Chem test, God was saying here, this is what failure feels like. Then in reference to NU here this is what this world’s vision of success feels like. And while of course they are different in the initial feelings I had toward them, they both quickly ended and as result I was left in the same place. This is what God wanted to say, that here is failure and success in this world. But what good is any of it if through it all, you don’t have me. What I realized was that I was not looking at God. God had made it very clear as to what I was missing and why I had felt no sense of happiness in my “success.” Our souls are from God and because they are, they cannot be satisfied with the things of this earth. That even if I achieved the bucket list of accomplishments Paul had, that is will never fill the desire that I actually want.

And while it wasn’t as graceful and a complete turn around like Paul, I ended up in the same place as him. God brought me back to him while I was bitter and completely lost in what I thought mattered to me. He reminded me that none of this matters, shattering this idea that all I had and could possibly offer was only good if it was based on the limited success this world offers. Yet, NONE of it matters because what is my everything is Him. What my everything is, is God. Every time I was brought back to God I was reminded that what mattered was not the small gains I got through this world but that the greatest gain I have is through the gospel. That because of Jesus’ death and resurrection I can confidently say, like Paul, that I want to know Christ. That I want to walk with him and talk to him and like Jesus who suffered, to live proclaiming this gain despite the possible persecution, nonetheless living a life walking with my Lord and Savior. And because of this I can again with confidence strive towards this prize in heaven for which God has called me.

Conclusion:    

            While I have this confidence in saying I want to know Christ, it was a very difficult process full of tears, hardships, but most importantly peace that I know can be found through Christ. However, it is worth it all, Christ is worth it all and because of that I encourage you guys to find why you want to know Christ. If you don’t want to know Christ, why not.  I pray that we may experience what Paul testifies about through Philippians 3, to be able to live out a life centered on the pursuit of knowing Christ. That each one of us may be able to recognize the overwhelming worth and gain we have in Christ in comparison to what the world has to offer and in doing so may be able to confess with confidence as Paul did that “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.”

Joanne Lee Easter 2017 Message

1 Corinthians 15: 1-11

Key Verse 9-10 “For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them-- yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me”

Hi, I'm Joanne Lee, I'm the youngest of six kids, fours sisters and one brother. I was born and raised in Chicago. I'm currently attending Lincoln park and am part of the IB program.

One of the earliest memories of grace was during an afternoon play session with my older brother Moses. We were wrestling, which we usually didn’t do and I somehow got on top of him. It was apparently a thing to split on each other but pretend to until you saw the split hanging from the other’s mouth. So you see where this is going, I was on top, spit hanging down from my mouth and Moses squirming. In my defense, he squirmed and the spit fell from my mouth, right on his cheek. I jumped off, completely taken aback, immediately apologizing. He stormed off into his room and shut the door. Dread, and horror overwhelmed me, I had just lost my closest play buddy and it was MY fault; he made it so I couldn’t even blame him for leaving! I jumped into action, I’d need to send a snack under the door, send a letter apologizing, again, whisper and look through the keyhole and hope he opened the door for me. He came out approximately five minutes later and as I stared ready for his wrath but nothing happened, instead he told me it was okay-- I was so taken aback and felt like my life had been spared.

Today, we will learn about a greater grace that God showed on us and how this grace of God changed our lives. I pray that through this message we may think about two questions, first: what is the gospel to YOU and second: why do we need living hope.

Let’s pray

Part I: Standing Firm in the Gospel verses 1-2

First, the love Paul had for the Corinthians and the reminder he gives them.

Corinth is known for being a port city full of hustle and bustle, those passing by seek to buy and those set up, seek to sell. Corinth was naturally a place of mixed ideals, beliefs, and lifestyles-- sounds like an environment we are used to. Paul writes this beautiful letter beginning with a reminder to the Church in Corinth. His reminder can be seen in the first two verses, in it he addresses them as “brothers and sisters” (1). He says “I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.” Paul reminds them exactly of what they did; they heard the gospel he preached to them and took their stand on it. But what exactly does taking a stand really mean?

In one way, these verses push us to remember to live holding firmly to the Gospel. Joshua 1:8 highlights the blessings that come when we hold onto the word of God. It reads “Keep this Book of Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” When we keep the word of God actively in our hearts; when we constantly meditate on it, we are able to stand firmly in the word and it is able to yield such blessings in our life. Another verse that helps illustrate what holding on to the Gospel looks like is Psalm 1:2-3 “but whose delight is is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither-- whatever they do prospers.” When we hold onto the word of God we are able to stand firm, bear fruit, and not wither away. Again, we are given the blessing of prospering. The prospering and success may not come from what we may consider success and prospering; it is more valuable than that-- it is, knowing the will of God. This is actually so much more valuable than getting recognition by others, looking good on paper, presenting yourself to please those around you. The prospering and success that these verse refer to can be seen in things like wisdom, discernment, patience, fruit of the spirit that help us prosper and be successful in a completely new way.

Can _____ read verse 2. “Otherwise, you have believed in vain,” I think what Paul is trying to remind the Church to be genuine in their faith. We should be careful not to speak our faith and not live it out. If we have taken our stand in our faith, we must also hold firmly and live it out. These words we hold onto are unlike human words, we may obey and listen and understand human words, but the words of God are powerful, life-giving words.

A verse that comes into mind is Hebrews 4:12 “for the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” the word of God is alive and active, it’s not something we read like a book, it’s not something that sits on the shelf. We are reminded like the church of corinth, to hold firmly to the gospel, it is not in our nature to remember, it’s quite opposite-- we forget and we are okay with it. Our world presents us a daily struggle to hold firmly to the gospel, we are faced with so many challenging beliefs and patterns of this world that we want to follow. Holding onto the gospel is holding onto the truth, holding to it will allow us to face any type of hindrance this world throws at us.

Last year, I was faced with a really tough decision of living and practicing my faith. I was really swayed by the culture and the norms of this society and satan had tempted me with the “boy temptation”. I was really overwhelmed with this feeling of fitting in and proving I could do “normal” girl things like date a guy. I can say that it was God to hit me with a freaking rock at this point of my life. It wasn’t that I felt bad for liking someone or that I wanted to date someone but God telling me to focus on my life of faith. He gave me 1 Peter 1:23- “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God” and 1 Peter 3:3- “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes.” These verses were not joking, and they were not something I could argue with. It was so clearly stated. I was more than the things of the world, I was not made in the image of God to conform to the world and what it might seem to offer me. Let me tell you though, when you make that decision of faith, when you make a change like that in life, it is not from yourself-- again, it is NOT from the things YOU decide to do-- it is the work of GOD in you, stand firm in the word of God, stand firm in the Gospel.

Part II: Believing and Living According to the Scriptures Verses 3-8

Let’s have _____ read these verses.

Second, what believing and living according to the Scriptures looks like and being witnesses of God. It is through remembering the death and resurrection of Jesus that connects everything Paul preaches to what is according to the Scriptures. The death of Jesus as we learned from Luke 23 was according to the Scriptures, the pain, the suffering, the forgiveness that was poured out was all according to the Scriptures. The resurrection of Jesus and appearance of Jesus in Luke 24 was according to the Scriptures, the victory over death, Jesus meeting his disciples and giving them living hope even in their scared, shivering state. The hope that Jesus gives to them is the same to us; and that is all according to the Scriptures. According to the Scriptures does not translate to the old words people said some long time ago, according to the Scriptures is according to the word of God-- this is not a tragic death of an innocent man. This is the death of the Son of God, it was thought of, planned by, and executed by God the Father.

Paul concisely explains everything according to the Scriptures in verses 3-4; let’s have _______ read these verses for us. What Paul passes on as a message to the Church is the message of the Gospel. This message goes into verse 6-7 and describes those the risen Jesus appears to “he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at the same time. Most of whom were still living though some had fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to [Paul] also, as to one abnormally born.” These appearances are to those who followed Christ. They lived out this Gospel, they encountered the risen Christ and were turned into witnesses of Christ, how does the Gospel apply to our life though?

It is important to think of what the Gospel means to you. The Gospel literally translates to good news, but it may come in the form of something else for you. It may be your living hope, it may be your saving grace, or it may be nothing. But the Gospel really is the good news that we receive. That ALL people receive. Paul has a very personal connection with the Gospel. He was a very righteous man by law and actively persecuted the church. On his way to Damascus Paul is met by God who questions him saying “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”.This is just the beginning of Paul’s conversion, after meeting God, he is blinded, prayed for, healed by Ananias, baptized and completely changed. He was renamed Paul which means small or humble. The Gospel to Paul is the foundation of his faith, he experienced it in a very literal way. He states in verse 8 “as to one abnormally born”, the risen Jesus appeared to Paul, an apostle that actually wasn’t an apostle at all. Paul makes it clear that he was undeserving of this direct, personal, and completely life changing.

In reality, we all are undeserving of meeting the risen Christ. I fall short of meeting the risen Christ. But that is where the Gospel faith comes in, when we believe that we are saved through the grace of God and when we accept this grace for ourselves are met by the risen Christ. This is where the core of gospel faith is rooted in, the fact that we are undeserving of this opportunity, where we have no right to this saving grace yet the risen Christ becomes our saving grace, the mercy and love that we don’t deserve is given as a gift to us.

When I think about the Gospel, I question what about the Gospel I believe, why do I need to practice this at all?

Within my program, I face a constant cut throat but cheating system. There are those who are willing to do ANYTHING to be the BEST, this might mean bringing everyone down around them, this might mean proving a teacher wrong in front of the entire class, being so absorbed in studying that you have no social life or mean cheating their way through the entire program. Our world is actually like this, people are so set on proving themselves to peers, teacher, parents-- anyone who is willing to look at them. I found myself so unhappy three months ago and overwhelmed with this feeling of sadness, this continuous unhappiness and lack of motivation that felt like a rock in my heart. I had taken 5 ACTs, I had missed the opportunity to apply to Northwestern ED which meant my acceptance percentage went from 45% to less than 10%, I felt like I was working nonstop and that I was living my parents’ life. Not only was my mind full of these lies, but I was telling myself these lies so many times a day that I began to believe them; that my life wasn’t my life, that I was just a body. I can’t begin to explain how bad this is, this is what I call the black hole of lies.

The Gospel to me, is acceptance. It’s that I don’t need to prove myself to my peers, it’s that I don’t need Northwestern to prove my value or intelligence. When I accepted Christ as my savior, I also accepted myself.

It’s something that still challenges me, I still get self conscious and sometimes my doubts slip back into my mind but it’s the Gospel that reminds me, “Joanne, you can’t do ANYTHING and there is no running tab with God, he’s already accepted you with your flaws and your doubts and all your sins, you are more than this world’s standard, stop comparing yourself to people around you”

Even though I am not an eyewitness like those in Luke 24 like we learned in Jessica’s message, I am a follower and I am a believer. That makes me just as qualified to share my testimony of faith like all Jesus appeared to. Jesus appeared to me in many different ways in my life. I see Jesus working through my life and saving me everyday with his blood. I am reminded that I have witnessed the risen Jesus.

He may have appeared to Paul in a bright light, he may have ascended to heaven in front of the disciples but he is living and active in your life too. Our life is full of encounters with the risen Christ, these encounters are undeserving, full of grace, and build us in our gospel faith. We are equivalent to the Gentiles that were not the chosen people, the people who were the most disconnected and those that do not deserve to be saved. No matter what we do, no matter who we are, no matter how great we are, we are considered the worst; but this gospel, changes that.

Part III: Verses 9-11 The Grace of God

Lastly, Paul concludes his letter with a very intimate personal moment and his testimony to the grace of god. Paul is my favorite apostle in the sense that he is full of flaws and mistakes and detours in his life, but his change is a complete change that he constantly seems to be reminding himself of to remember the grace of God. After meeting the risen Christ his testimony is always about the grace of God in his life, and this testimony is just that. Paul is able to call himself an apostle because he accepted the gospel for himself.

When I hear Paul’s testimony I am reminded of the grace of God that was and is with me. This is an personal experience of the Grace of God in my life. My entire bubble of a life that I grew up in, popped when I entered high school, it wasn’t that I was left swimming with sharks but rather that I realized my life was not going to be as easy as it was up to the point. My family who always encouraged me to do my best and told me I was the best, still did, but inside I felt worthless and like a failure. I felt like going to Lincoln Park was a path that was paved for me, that it was just another thing planned for me in my life. The grace of God to me, is not that God made my life easy, or a piece of cake. The grace of God to me was realizing this was not actually that this was a pre-paved path by my family but by God. The grace of God to me was going to Lincoln Park, being supported by the amazing girls who go there, to be academically and spiritually challenged and to glorify God in all I did there. It was the grace of God that I was challenged and constantly struggled with many things to make me a Christian that sought out the will of God above all else. It was not that I knew automatically the way out, because I really didn’t. But that I was given the opportunity to practice my faith. It is  through the grace of God that I was able to learn to turn to God in my struggles. It is through the grace of God that I have living hope. It was through the grace of God that through all my failures and all my shortcomings, I am saved over and over again. It is through the grace of God that I don’t have to worry about the successes and failures I make in my own plans, in my own eyes, because the grace of God is accepting the undeserved love and mercy God freely gives me. I continue to struggle with accepting this Grace of God as I face “planning and deciding” my future. I struggle still to remember that I’M not actually planning and deciding my future but that my life is in God’s hands and that through the Grace of God I can face any hardship I might face. It was through the grace of God that I am what I am, because his grace to me was not without effect.

Verses 9-11 highlight the active participation and practice Paul puts in, to live out his faith. He encourages us with his personal testimony of what God’s grace has done in his life. The grace of God as he says, is not without effect. There is an impact of God’s grace that Paul sees very clearly in his life. Paul considered everything he did nothing compared to the grace of God he experienced. The value of his life changed and his standard reset. We will see this in his letter to those in the Church of Philippi and the impact of this grace of God that led him reevaluate his life’s purpose. He then goes on to say in verse 10 that “he works harder than all of them.” This further encourages us to work hard at our faith, to be conscious of how we live our faith and to remember that it is only through the grace of God that we are saved. It is not that the grace of God saves us and it stops there, but rather that we use the grace we receive to live out our faith.

Again, he reminds them that this is what he and the witnesses preached and this is what they believed. Our faith is something rooted in not only the gospel and made possible through the grace of god. We are saved through the grace of god constantly, and we can learn this from Paul’s attitude and life of faith. Let’s remember how to live our lives remembering what we believe, what we hold onto, the power of the word of God, and the reason why the gospel is for us, why we need it and how we can live our lives of faith.

God's not dead, and his word is not dead, Jesus has risen and our faith should not be dead, we too need to remember why we believe what we believe.

At this point, you may be wondering, what is the living hope?, I just hope to pass this test I have coming up. Literally me, I have a TOK oral that I have NO idea how to do and I’m hoping that I just PASS. I hope to be taken off the waitlist at Northwestern, I hope there’s not traffic going home, I hope the weather gets warmer. When I set my hopes on something in this world, big or small, I replace my living hope with temporary, superficial hope. Living hope to me is the solid identity I took on when I met the risen Christ. My hope is not in this world, it is knowing I am a child of God and looking for an eternal life with him. These hopes of the world are not bad hopes, it’s not bad to want to be successful, to want to prosper but many times when we close our minds to achieving something in THIS world, we fall short of the eternity we spend with God. We allow the hopes of the world to take over us to the point where we forget that there is an eternity with God waiting for us when we accept Christ as our savior.

My hope was for the past two months was getting into Northwestern. When God delayed me from, again, an easy path, I was really convicted. I kept repeating to myself that I believe in the living hope, that the things in the world do not define who I am, that the email I get from them actually doesn’t pave my life but that God does. I ignored what I was feeling for a while because I didn’t want to fall into the black hole of lies but I also didn’t fill my hole of sadness and discouragement. I didn’t turn to God in my time of need and fully depend on him, I numbed myself out and tried to move on. It is a real battle for me. It felt like God knew exactly what would hurt me the most and did exactly that. For a while I listened to the lies of Satan who made me question God’s love. I found myself blaming God, “you know she’s my best friend and the closest to me, you know that I can’t even be mad at her because she deserves to get into Northwestern”. I was really rebuked from this passage. “For i am the least of the apostles and do not deserve to be called an apostle” it was God bringing me to my lowest point and then facing me saying “is my love conditional, is your living hope, is your faith based on the action of service I do for you? Are you that quick to sway into believing lies?” I had made my hope a temporary, superficial hope. God didn’t shove anything in my face, he was challenging me to come closer to him. My security isn’t getting into Northwestern, my security is in the living hope, this is the truth: that Christ died for me, for my pride, self-righteousness, my occasional craziness in public, overstepping in conversation, my critical judgement, for everything that separates me from God. This is the truth: that I am set free with the blood of Christ, that I look forward to the living hope and eternity with God. This is the truth: that I was made in the image of God, that I am very good, that God did not make me to fall into the black holes I create by listening to Satan.

The truth is, you are saved, you are saved over and over again, that you were a sinner lost but that you were accepted by the Grace of God and made new.

I’ll end with my favorite verse 1 John 4:18- “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

Your faith is your faith, I can’t make you believe something you don’t and your parents can’t either. But this I can assure you, the Gospel is the a love story where we are rescued and we pay nothing back to the savior and that living hope is our secure identity in Christ.

For you are what you are through the grace of God and his grace is not without effect.

Jaewon Lee Easter 2017 Message

HE HAS RISEN!

Lk 24:1-35

Lk 24:6a He is not here; he has risen!

This passage, Luke chapter 24, is about the empty tomb, the missing body, and the appearance of the risen Christ. Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15, "If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins." And according to theologian Gerald O'Collins, "Christianity without the resurrection is not simply Christianity without its final chapter. It is not Christianity at all." (Gerald O'Collins, The Easter Jesus, 134) Why is this resurrection crucial to our lives as followers of Jesus and how does this ancient text apply to modern believers? I pray that answers to these questions may be plainly explained to us through this passage and this Easter Bible Conference, and that we may all share the resurrection faith and become witnesses to the risen Christ to the ends of the earth.

[PART ONE] He has risen! (v.1-8)

As soon as Sabbath rest ended, the women went to the tomb to anoint Jesus' body.(1) Earlier, Jesus had cured Mary Magdalene and Joanna of evil spirits and diseases.(Lk 8:2) And the other Mary was Jesus' mother. Their earnest love for Jesus and deep sorrow at his death led them to the tomb although they also wondered how they would be able to enter it. In Mark's gospel, they said to each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?" But to their surprise, the stone had already been put aside, and the body of Jesus was absent from the tomb.(2-3) While all different scenarios were running through their heads, two angels stood by them and said, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!"(5b-6a) The angels told this astonishing news too plainly, unfazed. The angels continued, "Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'"(6b-7) They were right; it should not be a surprise, because Jesus had said that he would die and rise from the dead, and he did just that! By swallowing up death(Isa 25:8), Jesus crushed the head of Satan(Gen 3:15), our most potent adversary. Now Satan has no claim on us. Grief, anger, anxiety, insecurity, and everything rooted in death has been overcome. We are given new birth into a living hope and into a heavenly inheritance through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.(1Pe 1:3-4) These are given to us when we believe, as the women did. Complete peace and joy from unity with God surges in our hearts. How joyful were the women? They hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell the disciples.(Mat 28)

[PART TWO] What holds you back? (v.9-24)

In contrast to the women’s gleeful tidings, the disciples hardly showed any reciprocation. Verse 11 says, “But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.” To the disciples, who were eyewitnesses of Jesus’ crucifixion, it was evident that no one could survive the brutality of the punishment. And it was nonsensical to say that the stone was rolled away and the body was absent from the tomb which was supposed to be tightly guarded by Roman soldiers. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb, and found it empty.(12) In his gospel account, John says that he was there with Peter.(Jn 20:2-3) Now the women’s testimony gained more authenticity, confirmed by two male disciples, who were thought to be more reliable back then. But still, disciples seem to reject the truth. That same day two of them were fleeing from Jerusalem to Emmaus out of fear and confusion.(13) Jesus came along and walked with them, but they did not even recognize him.(16) Why were they "so foolish" and "slow to believe" his resurrection?(25) The reason is found in their conversation with Jesus. Their hope for the resurgence of Israel led by powerful prophet Jesus was now torn apart.(20,21) Their hopeless grip on this abortive hope is blocking them from knowing the truth. In verses 23-24, they said, "[The women] didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.” They perceived the empty tomb and the missing corpse from their companions’ report, but not the risen Messiah. Likewise, this miraculous event that happened in a different continent on the globe almost two millennia ago does not seem to make connection to our lives. It sounds more sensible to say there is no resurrection than to say Jesus is alive today. And more often, our sights are blurred by different causes or feelings that ultimately lead us to death as the two disciples were trapped in their human expectation. The power of death has expertise in camouflage; it mingles with our lives so naturally that most of the time we are unaware that it is blocking us from having the resurrection hope, the true living hope. Whether subtle ups and downs of life or the greatest virtue of the age, it makes our spirit writhe in pain as long as it has stronger claim to our minds than Jesus' resurrection.

[PART THREE] Listen to Jesus! (v.25-35)

Then how do we remedy this piteous situation? What did Jesus do? He taught the Bible to them. In verse 27, Jesus went over the entire Scripture with the two disciples in the light of his suffering and resurrection. Later, after Jesus was recognized by them, they said, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"(32) Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.(Ro 10:17) God's word has power in it; it is alive among us today. No matter how abject the darkness we are going through is, his word is powerful enough to kindle the light of truth in our hearts so that we may see the risen Christ with faith. Jesus' work does not end with rising from the dead; he is still alive and is eager to come to us and help us believe his victory. After the Bible study with Jesus, the disciples' eyes were opened as he broke a loaf of bread.(31) When they began to see who he was, their hearts were reshaped and were filled with exhilaration. Now they turned their way back to Jerusalem, from which they were initially running away gripped with dread and dismay. When they arrived where the Eleven were to share this great news, pieces were put together. "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon!"(34)

[4] Personal testimony

I was also under the reign of darkness. When my mother died, I got a fissure, which could not be closed by any means. It meant that I would have to either jump over or fall into it while others walked on the level ground. Strife against emotional detachment, people's stigma about a motherless child, and insecurity of my future were looming over me. At my mom's funeral, one relative said to my grandma, "Now you have to be stronger than anybody. Otherwise, who will take care of those young kids?" I overheard the conversation and thought, "No, I have to be stronger." I had to have a "grieving process" according to some psychological theories, but my mind was already busy enough fighting with outward adversities. My academic achievements and outlook for success comforted me, but darkness deepened as it burrowed into the drape of outward pride and excellence. Then I went to high school, where I began to see that everyone had already been racing toward a sole objective of "entering a good college," even at the cost of morality, wholesomeness, and moderation. My inability to catch up with this heated competition was another source of deprivation from the beginning. The burden was aggravated as I took on more academic load in coming years. I had been striding twice as fast as others to overcome the big crevasse, but now I had to move at an impossibly challenging pace. My dad's remarriage, financial problems, and distrust among my family members were additional pressure on me. All the glories I had enjoyed faded away, and the previously overlooked necessity of "grieving process" came along, together with anger and brokenness. I cried every day and held everything against God and people around me, while I tried to give myself another meaning of life. But the more I squirmed to escape, the power of sin dragged me down even more. Last week I asked my Mom about how I was at that time. She said, "You came home and said you would stay up late studying, but you always cried until one in the morning, went to bed when you were exhausted from crying, and got up at six. I wondered if you were getting any sleep. That was how the evening went every day." I am certain that you who have seen me for the last seven months know that I am not like this anymore. You are witnesses of God's great work in my life. These are the verses he gave me then. 2 Co 12:9 "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." My effort to fight my way through to the top was not effectual, but God used this weakness to humble me and help me wait for his deliverance. Zep 3:17 "The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing." And the greatest of the great mercy was that God himself loved me and was with me to the extent that he sacrificed his Son Jesus. Grievance against God and man, and ultimately the power of death, were gradually washed away with the blood of Christ and the tears I shed before his cross. But still, the darkness was not purged completely as the two disciples could not abandon their dead hope on the basis of their narrow understanding. I was overwhelmed by a deluge of confusion and instability in a new society I stepped into last year. In order not to be swept by the gush, I grasped at my dead hope in myself which was not weeded out completely. It was easy to go back to the old idol, but the consequence was complete voidness and heavy burden on my spirit. But as I meditated on this passage over last month, Jesus visited me as he did the two heavyhearted disciples. I was washing the dishes one afternoon, my soul being tired from bemoaning many unsatisfactory things. Jesus asked me, "What did I do for you? Didn't I die on the cross bearing all your sin and rise to give you eternal life?" I could not but repent of my unbelief and I cried, holding the dishes. Again it was God's grace that I was given the living hope through Jesus' resurrection and that God did not let me lose this hope. And I believe the same is with my Korean mother. Now I use my time, energy, and talent to work out my salvation, to glorify my Lord with everything I can offer, to love my Lord with all my strength, heart, and soul, and grow as his disciple who proclaims this great news to others, not to selfishly adorn my own life or to compensate for irreversible loss. I praise and thank God for this amazing grace that softened my rugged heart and planted living hope in me. There are also many people who helped me grow in faith, but I give special thanks to my family, who sacrificed a lot to support me and showed me a living example of love and humility of Christ.

Jesus is not in the tomb; he has risen. He rose from the dead to give us victory over death and eternal life in his kingdom. The resurrection hope is still alive in many hearts and expanding through the people who live out this hope by loving others sacrificially and showing them humility of Jesus. But very often, we may be mourning over the empty tomb like the women or disappointed at our own dead hope, not recognizing the risen Christ. But as Jesus walked with the two disciples, listened to them, and imparted understanding of his resurrection to them, he is willing to be with us today and lead us to the victory and eternal life he earned for us by conquering death. One last question remains: "What is my life like after that?" Jessica will be up here soon to share with us our lives as witnesses to his resurrection. Let's pray.

Jessica Mun Easter 2017 Message

Passage: Luke 24:36-53

KEY VERSE: LUKE 24:48

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in their presence.

44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”

45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

The Ascension of Jesus

50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

Hey guys, my name is Jessica Mun. I am a Senior at Lincoln Park High School. I will be giving a message on Luke 24:36-53. My key verse is verse 48 “You are witnesses of these things.”

I have a question for you. Have you ever been a witness to anything? Like if you found out something awesome that you really want to share. Maybe it could be the free chips and guac at Chipotle, or a sale on that dress you really wanted from Forever 21. Whatever it was, naturally, you became a witness on that one piece of information that was beneficial to everyone. Just as the disciples became witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection, I want all of us to understand and believe that we are also living witnesses from the events that our living God has given us.

      I.        PEACE be with US (36-43)

            Right from the beginning, we start off with the disciples conversing with one another about what they had just seen. What did they see? Jesus appeared to two of the disciples and they inform the rest of the disciples. This all seemed unrealistic. Jesus? Resurrected from the dead? Are you crazy? While discussing, Jesus suddenly appears in their presence out of nowhere and says “Peace be with you”. Okay, hold up. Lets think about this from the perspective of the disciples. A man, whom they followed and respected was wrongfully accused and killed. Now, 3 days after his death, he appears among them without even opening the door or coming through the window. Of course they would all be shocked and frightened at the sight of this. But more importantly, let's think about his words. “Peace be with you.” So why peace? Peace means tranquility and quietness. This situation arises a lot of confusion and doubt in the disciples hearts so peace was essential to all of them at this moment. They were so startled that they became frightened at the sight of Jesus, thinking that they had seen a ghost. Lets think about what a ghost is… Most of the time people think of ghosts as an evil spirit, mostly a representation of someone who has died. Why is it scary towards us? A ghost is unknown, related to darkness. Darkness brings fear and fear is not from God, it’s from Satan.

Once Jesus sees that they are startled he says, in verse 38: Why are you troubled and why do doubts rise in your minds?  Doubt is a feeling of uncertainty, lack of conviction, hesitation. Based on this definition, think about a time when you are unpeaceful. This quarter I had a really difficult time with one teacher in my school. She REALLY doesn’t like me. I didn’t know why she was tormenting me and calling me out for every little thing I did wrong. It came to the point where I had reached the lowest part of my high school career when she gave me an F on a project which brought my overall grade down to an F. I was shaken and broken emotionally and everyday I would come home and cry. I tried to handle this situation by myself and the entire time I felt so lonely. My mother told me “pray every time you go into her class”, but even after I was praying sincerely, I would still be yelled at constantly for the smallest mistakes. Emotionally I was wrecked. I doubted and ignored God’s existence and thought that he could not help me with this situation. After praying with my mom and some several email exchanges, my teacher agreed that she would review my project grade. That’s where I was proven wrong. God helped me to realize that I can do nothing by myself and that made me feel ashamed for what I had previously believed. Another time I was in doubt was when thinking I would go to college. I legit gave up all hope. I was so stressed at the sound of “college” and I was anxious upon where I would go if I got rejected from all the universities I applied to. So upon praying to God I said “Lord, where ever you believe I can spread your glory the most, send me and I will go”. After a few days, I had given up hope and was doubtful if God had actually heard my prayer. But a week later, after coming back home from school, I took a look in my mailbox. In the corner, was a package that said “You’re in!” I was immediately confused and realized that it was from IIT. I was overwhelmed by my emotions and ashamed at the same time because I doubted Jesus.] The feelings of anxiety and stress is a representation of how the disciples felt without Jesus.  As you show distress or anxiety during those moments, can you think clearly? Probably not. Just in the same way, the disciple could not think clearly. They probably had the thought: “is it really Jesus? Are you sure this isn’t a ghost? I wonder if I can touch him, hold up let me test it...” The emotions that they felt was stress and doubt. But Jesus knew them inside and out. Even though they were blinded and anxious, Jesus had patience with them.

So, just in this way, Jesus says that we should not have fear. Why should we not be fearful? Jesus as the Prince of Peace, gives us peace just through his presence. We have the holy spirit residing among us so no ghost can scare us. So from the disciple's’ perspective, they all feared that Jesus had left them. But he appears to give them comfort and assurance as his first words to them after 3 days had passed was “Peace be with you”.

He goes on to say, “Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself, touch me and see.” From this verse we can see that Jesus had resulted to the action of letting the disciples touch him to prove his point that he was with them in the physical form. This must’ve been heartbreaking for Jesus because he had to offer them the option of touching his wounds so that they could believe him. From this, we are able to experience a representation how our resurrection bodies will form. Jesus can appear out of nowhere because his body and spirit is still together after his resurrection. They began to doubt that Jesus had a physical body and that it was all a dream because he didn’t walk through the door or anything but he appeared out of thin air.  But Jesus clearly shows them that he has physical flesh and bones and you can touch unlike a ghost. He proves it towards his disciples, physically but they could not believe it because of joy and amazement. It’s strange, if they were joyful and amazed they should’ve believed it. So why are they still in doubt? It’s because it all seemed too good to be true so they are unable to accept reality. For supporting evidence, he asks them for food. How can we interpret this? Maybe he wasn’t genuinely hungry, I mean he was gone for 3 days so maybe he was... But we can see that Jesus just wanted to physically show them that he wasn’t a ghost. But he shows patience with the disciples again as they still did not believe him even after he wanted to show them pure evidence that he had risen.

II. We are LABELED AS WITNESSES (44-48)

In Verse 44&45 “He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Then he opened their minds so that they could understand the scripture.”

In these verses, Jesus goes back and connects it to the past. He states that he is the fulfillment of the law, reminding them. “I told you”. However, the disciples didn’t remember because they are still struck in awe. Have you ever had any time where you were so surprised that you couldn’t believe what was happening? The disciples felt that way. They couldn’t differentiate their imagination from reality because they were in shock from seeing Jesus coming back from the dead. Once Jesus saw that they didn’t remember what he told them, “he opened their minds so that they could understand the scripture”. Lets think about this. Jesus “opened their minds”. How do you open your mind? Jesus had previously “opened their eyes and they were able to recognize him” from Olivia’s message on verse 31 so that the disciples could see. This is a representation of how we are spiritually. Everyone is blinded by the general materialistic things in the world that we begin to doubt the reality of these words. However, from the opening of their minds, they were able to instantly remember the resurrection promise. This is the power of Jesus Christ. He alone has the ability to help us remember the things that we have forgotten. In the same way, just because you go to church doesn’t mean that you understand Jesus fully. Actually, we can never understand the full extent of Jesus Christ. But you have to open your minds so that Jesus can talk to you and so you can have that one to one love relationship with him.

Jesus went through the process of Suffering on the cross, death, resurrection on the third day, and last of all, the repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in Jesus’ name to all nations. As stated in the Bible, it is the law.

So, what does Jesus’ death mean to me? What image do I get in my head? : I see a lonely sacrificial lamb, rejected from society. But pure and innocent because he has done nothing wrong. This sacrificial lamb is walking down a path voluntarily, with sinful people surrounding him. He could stop, he could run away at any time. But he stays and walks this path alone. Now what image comes to your mind when you hear about his resurrection? For me, it’s completely the opposite from his death. I see a pure white morning, with No more sorrow, no more sadness, no death. There is always a spiritual awakening and a new beginning with him. Through his cleansing blood, we have received a new life through Christ.

Verse 48 states, “You are witnesses of these things” We are all witnesses, can attest to his glory. But first, what is a Witnesses? From TV shows like Law and Order, we can see that a witness has: voluntary, true testimonial evidence, written or verbal. Why do we need witnesses: people need evidence because they are constantly in doubt. Personally, while I was writing this message, I was looking through my life and trying to think about myself as a witness. At first I didn’t think I had the authority to label myself as a witness and I couldn’t think of any major events that really stuck out to me. But once thinking about it, I realized that even in the small events of my past, God was always there. Actually, funny story, recently I was almost hit by an ambulance. Crazy, right? I wasn’t looking and if it wasn’t for my quick reflexes and Emily who pulled me back on the last second, I would’ve been hit by an ambulance going 40mph. This miracle opened my eyes to the grace of God and gave me revelation that God has a genuine plan and a purpose for my life.

So, WHAT IS YOUR TESTIMONY ABOUT JESUS IN YOUR LIFE?

Personally accepted Jesus in my life from a few events… Not only was I baptized with the holy spirit, but I have been labeled as his daughter and servant. I’m going to tell you all a little story, going back to the beginning,  (my testimony) Upon asking my mother, she told me that when I was young, my personality was: humble and obedient, quiet and gentle. My birth was a miracle. Korean name Jung Hee meant new life and hope from dead tree. When I asked my mother why my grandfather gave me this name, she told me that when Christine was 4 and when Peter was 6, they got into a car accident. My mother was paralyzed and no one thought she could have a child anymore. It was medically impossible. She told me that I AM A MIRACLE BABY and that GOD HAS A PLAN FOR MY LIFE. By experiencing this supernatural miracle, she is also a resurrection witness.  Moving on through my life, I first experienced God’s love at a conference at IHOP in Kansas City. I had been learning about Jesus Christ from CBF but I had never personally experienced it and felt as if my faith was just based on knowledge of what I learned from bible studies and full of empty words. Upon doing praise and singing for Jesus at this conference, I experienced a whole different atmosphere and I admit, I cried a few times. More recently, This winter, my grandmother passed away. Many times I wondered, why did God take her? Why couldn’t she stay a while longer? I had many regrets and wished that I could’ve improved my Korean just a little bit so that I talk to her one last time and she could understand what I was saying. But after she peacefully left, I realized that she is with Jesus Christ in heaven. The night she passed, Jesus showed me a vision in a dream, my grandmother was walking in a field of flowers and upon looking at me, she told me in English that she loved me. I was moved and started crying, I asked her if she could understand me, and she nodded her head. I believe that God gave me this vision to comfort me, and to give me peace. My grandma accepted Jesus Christ as her lord and savior when I was young and she believed the promise that there will be everlasting life with Jesus after death. I had no fear, and no sadness because I knew that I would be seeing her again in the eternal kingdom with Jesus Christ. Now, I am praising God through my voice and from everything that I can give. I believe that God has blessed my life because he has given me these abilities, these gifts to use for his glory. He has given me a purpose and I firmly believe that I am a witness of Jesus’ resurrection.

In the same way, Act 1:8 says “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” From this verse, God labels us as his living witnesses and is constantly active in our lives.

III.  HOPE AND BELIEVE THE PROMISE (49-53)

Verse 49: I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” in correlation with Act 1: 4-5 says  “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” From this, He gives us power with the Holy Spirit and a promise. I believe that he has given all of us gifts that we can use for his glory. It may be, through your artwork, singing, and even with your words. I hope we can all realize what our gifts are and receive the promise, the power that we have been clothed with from God.

Verse 50-53

When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. Once they had full resurrection, they received the promise that Jesus promised them and instantly they had no more fear. Now let's go back to the beginning where the disciples were locked in the room (voluntarily) shivering and shaking with fear and doubt. But right after they saw the risen Jesus, they were joyful and confident in their faith. Let’s take a look at this contrast. Can you imagine this? This image is a true representation of the peace Jesus gives us.

Verse 51: While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.

The blessing that Jesus gave them was God’s favor and protection. Since the disciples were surrounded by people who didn’t believe in Jesus’ resurrection, he protected them. He will come back just as it says in Acts 1:11b, “This same Jesus, who had been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” So, in the same way, I HOPE and BELIEVE THE PROMISE, I pray that all of you can too.

After he left them, the disciples worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God. They were able to have “great joy” because they have received the promise from Jesus of an eternity with him. In the beginning without Jesus, they were living in fear because they were lost without him. Like a shepherd, he came back to comfort us and to give us hope. After seeing and believing, they can trust his words and have hope for the future while praising God continuously. Their continuous praising brings revelation to us now, how we should be like them, spreading the news that Jesus has been resurrected and that he is waiting for us to accept the promise that he has given us. I pray that we can believe in Jesus and not be troubled.

So, how can you be a witness? Ask yourself this question: Did you go through Jesus death and resurrection? if you have personally experienced Jesus’ forgiveness of your sins, YOU ARE AUTOMATICALLY LABELED AS A WITNESS OF JESUS’ RESURRECTION. If you are still confused, don’t be afraid. When reflecting through my life, and reviewing the events that have happened to me, I realized that God is active in my life. This revelation made me firm in my decision that I am a living witness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He gives us all a purpose and is living and active in all of our lives right now. I believe that his plans are to make us, his children as living witnesses of his resurrection and His power. Whatever your mission may be, I believe and pray that whenever we get lost or led astray, God is actively working in your life to help you understand that you are his living witnesses.