back to indexBerean Community Church Sunday Service 12/29/2024
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I hope you had a wonderful Christmas this week, 00:05:23.220 |
As always, let us begin our service this morning 00:09:23.220 |
New Year's Eve service is this Tuesday at 11 p.m., 00:09:29.220 |
Come with a heart that's ready to reflect on the year. 00:09:35.220 |
in a couple Sundays on January 12th at 1 p.m. 00:09:38.220 |
in the Youth Chapel across the courtyard there. 00:09:55.220 |
you have to go to all eight of these courses. 00:10:01.220 |
And on that same day, we also have a members meeting. 00:10:08.220 |
It is something that we require four times a year. 00:10:12.220 |
And so it's 2 p.m. in the main sanctuary right here. 00:10:16.220 |
In between, there's going to be a fundraiser lunch, 00:10:20.220 |
instead of just kind of going off and eating on your own. 00:10:38.220 |
Friday, January 31st to Sunday, February 2nd. 00:11:17.220 |
and God, the reality that all of what we have belongs to you. 00:11:21.220 |
Father, I pray, especially at the end of the year like this, 00:12:21.220 |
to greet those around you before we continue our worship? 00:21:20.720 |
and how he's relentlessly working in my life. 00:21:23.560 |
I hope this testimony conveys the power God's love has 00:21:28.360 |
As a second-gen Korean American in Orange County, 00:21:32.220 |
I grew up sheltered, privileged, and very comfortable. 00:21:40.120 |
Needless to say, Christianity was everywhere, 00:21:45.260 |
The abundance of church and Christian identity 00:21:55.020 |
I quickly became familiar with all of the praise songs 00:22:03.760 |
and an oversimplified explanation of the gospel. 00:22:13.360 |
I learned about sin and what Christians ought not to do. 00:22:16.720 |
I applied the things I learned to benefit only myself. 00:22:22.520 |
and my mind was hardened with a legalistic attitude. 00:22:38.460 |
and beneficial for me, and never when it truly counted. 00:22:41.960 |
I nitpicked scriptures and ignored the scripture 00:22:47.500 |
Whatever convictions I had were self-satisfying 00:22:59.460 |
In the moments when I really needed to rely on God, 00:23:07.500 |
and rather than having remembrance of Christ, 00:23:24.640 |
Everything I did out of my own abilities led to failure. 00:23:28.000 |
Whatever I considered important was now meaningless. 00:23:31.100 |
All my efforts and endeavors ended in pain and loss. 00:23:34.700 |
I was in a perpetual state of failure and humiliation. 00:23:51.900 |
At this time, I thought I was a genuine Christian 00:24:08.440 |
Although the season led me to brokenness and humility, 00:24:13.160 |
who can overcome my self-rooted pride and depravity. 00:24:20.440 |
in regards to my sins, shortcomings, and inadequacies. 00:24:29.600 |
to fully participate in the process of His redemption, 00:24:32.560 |
God revealed that my convictions were self-satisfying 00:24:40.600 |
was truly a desire to be loved, accepted, and restored. 00:24:51.800 |
and letting go to gain everything that is Christ 00:24:55.180 |
was so contradicting and uncomfortable to me. 00:25:43.960 |
I got to truly experience and perceive Christ 00:25:56.020 |
- Friends, you understand by going into the water 00:26:46.380 |
Would you turn with me to Proverbs chapter three? 00:27:15.420 |
one of the most recognized passages in scripture. 00:27:27.860 |
Heavenly Father, I pray that we would be able to see. 00:27:38.120 |
Would you give us hearts that are ready to receive? 00:27:42.220 |
Not from the word of man, but from the word of God. 00:27:48.360 |
- My children, my older two children especially, 00:27:55.300 |
have been asking a lot about like what is faith? 00:28:03.660 |
And one of the things that I have regularly been 00:28:07.060 |
like kind of trying to help understand is using synonyms. 00:28:11.660 |
And so like two of the words that I commonly begin to use 00:28:17.060 |
Like faith is having, like believing something 00:28:33.460 |
that's a moment of faith that launches into a life of faith. 00:28:44.220 |
It's difficult to help somebody to understand it 00:29:09.340 |
in the middle of the ocean, would you ask that question? 00:29:14.420 |
Well, you don't ask that question because it just is. 00:29:25.060 |
It just, it knocks over the next domino right away. 00:29:38.300 |
If your beliefs change, then your life changes. 00:29:44.980 |
that a catastrophic disaster was on its way here, 00:29:49.420 |
then your decisions and the things that you think 00:30:01.060 |
If somebody told you that some stock would quadruple, 00:30:13.100 |
And so what God is doing here is he is asking us 00:30:15.900 |
to place our faith in him, to believe in him. 00:30:20.180 |
Ultimately, the word that he uses in this passage 00:30:25.580 |
A trust means that we surrender to the trust. 00:30:45.120 |
and they will ask like, what are we going to do next? 00:30:50.160 |
I just need to always know what's going to happen next. 00:30:52.720 |
I need to know what's coming down the pipeline. 00:30:59.280 |
And so all day long, it's like, what are we gonna do? 00:31:07.160 |
And then after that, can we stay up a little bit later? 00:31:09.600 |
And then tomorrow morning, what time do I have to wake up? 00:31:15.520 |
And then they'll be like, and then are we gonna 00:31:29.740 |
So if we say the entire thing we're gonna do today, 00:31:34.000 |
She wants to know what's gonna happen in a week, 00:31:37.040 |
And she even says, in a year, this is what I'm going to do. 00:32:00.780 |
at that moment, we'll tell you, prepare something. 00:32:15.780 |
I said that this child is kind of like my carbon copy 00:32:19.940 |
We really do want God to provide a turn-by-turn, 00:32:24.580 |
And until we know, we're not gonna be able to trust. 00:32:37.080 |
Are you sure this is going to be taken care of? 00:32:39.420 |
I don't think we ask many times because we trust in Him. 00:32:45.920 |
Many times, I think that's the heart we come with. 00:33:02.120 |
that just comes overnight, it's something that's grown. 00:33:06.360 |
we're going to be looking at these two verses, 00:33:12.540 |
verses one through 12, that all has the same structure. 00:33:18.520 |
and these imperatives where God gives you something to do. 00:33:24.080 |
and then it's going to be followed by a positive consequence 00:33:31.280 |
And just a fair warning, the three admonitions 00:33:36.440 |
You're going to be like, didn't we just hear this? 00:33:37.900 |
And I'm going to tell you right now, yes, you did. 00:33:39.920 |
Okay, we're going to say the same thing three times. 00:33:48.040 |
if we go to the next slide, trust in the Lord, 00:33:54.320 |
and acknowledge Him, these are the three admonitions. 00:33:59.280 |
jump to acknowledge, and then go back to do not lean, 00:34:17.120 |
It's something that He says, this is what I want of you. 00:34:26.520 |
Every day, every Sunday when we come in here, 00:34:29.140 |
before service begins, there's something printed 00:34:36.320 |
It might have become something, just wallpaper. 00:34:38.520 |
It says, please prepare your hearts for worship. 00:34:45.800 |
So it's there, but this is something much stronger. 00:34:59.820 |
It has an emphatic weight of a command given by God, 00:35:04.600 |
and she says this word very simply, trust, trust. 00:35:16.860 |
All of 2024, we've had to trust in something. 00:35:26.740 |
there may be the illusion of self-dependency, 00:35:29.600 |
the illusion of independence, it's just that, an illusion. 00:35:42.860 |
you can have a deep trust in certain things in your life. 00:35:46.180 |
Or perhaps you have a great and deep trust in yourself. 00:35:49.300 |
We even have a phrase that sometimes people throw around, 00:36:02.920 |
So all of 2024, the question is, what have I trusted in? 00:36:11.620 |
This very morning, as you sit down, where is your trust? 00:36:36.860 |
We trust in the fact that we are intellectual 00:36:39.320 |
when it comes to certain places in our lives. 00:36:43.120 |
Or perhaps we trust in our own intestinal fortitude, 00:36:51.220 |
that I can do something, I have high bandwidth, 00:36:53.940 |
I have the ability to accomplish many things. 00:37:00.100 |
we're unable to trust anything else, I gotta do it. 00:37:10.820 |
that we've learned over the years that I'm good with people. 00:37:25.420 |
Yes, many of us trust in people, in our spouses, 00:37:37.580 |
It might even be people you don't know, a commentator. 00:37:45.480 |
a reviewer, an advisor, a medical professional 00:37:49.960 |
who gives medical advice and prescribes medicine. 00:38:04.620 |
We trust in a country, we trust in a way of life. 00:38:08.580 |
We trust in a culture, we trust in a politician. 00:38:11.340 |
We trust every day in things, we trust in experiences 00:38:24.760 |
that this vacation is going to bring me peace, 00:39:34.140 |
that he has promised, that this is guaranteed. 00:40:08.020 |
a command given to us because we are so prone 00:40:10.600 |
to trust in other things, to trust in created things. 00:40:19.460 |
you have reason after reason, experience after experience, 00:40:26.340 |
he has been to you, how faithful he has been to you. 00:40:29.620 |
It's so sad that he has to command us to trust in him. 00:40:45.160 |
that he gave Jesus his son and we still doubt, 00:41:00.460 |
We still doubt him to provide, still doubt his goodness, 00:41:09.120 |
Faith is only as reliable, as strong and good 00:41:16.840 |
It makes absolutely no sense to trust in anything else, 00:41:27.280 |
It doesn't matter how smart a doctor is, how accomplished. 00:41:31.460 |
It doesn't matter how good I am, how strong I am, 00:41:43.280 |
The only thing that makes sense to put our trust in is here. 00:41:47.460 |
To trust him has little to do with the strength of our faith 00:41:52.360 |
and everything to do with the object of our faith. 00:42:05.780 |
and no matter how everything happening around us 00:42:08.420 |
seems to shake, it is wise to trust in the Lord. 00:42:23.060 |
It means that our rationality and logic is being sanctified. 00:42:29.420 |
It's being sanctified in truth that we see things 00:42:33.960 |
that I trust in God more than I trust my eyes, 00:42:46.340 |
And so he says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart." 00:42:50.600 |
What the proverb says here is complete and whole, 00:43:06.000 |
that this is the end to which we work towards. 00:43:08.100 |
We trust God even if the outcome seems unfavorable. 00:43:15.980 |
Even if it feels like everything is falling apart. 00:43:31.460 |
empty to him, surrendered completely and holy. 00:43:36.560 |
Nowhere in scripture does it say, "With only a part." 00:44:00.280 |
So first we are called to surrender our minds, 00:44:02.940 |
the entirety of our thoughts, our logic, our rationale. 00:44:17.920 |
Jeremiah chapter 17 verse nine talks about this. 00:44:29.800 |
Our thinking is faulty if it is not sanctified in truth. 00:44:42.780 |
If something feels off, if there is loneliness, 00:44:54.060 |
many times the reason why those things are there 00:44:58.580 |
I'm not saying you go to someone and say trust God, 00:45:06.960 |
is because we do not have this thing that I want 00:45:19.700 |
This is hard for me, this is hard for all of us. 00:45:35.720 |
In our anger, the reason why we hold onto anger 00:45:54.560 |
But even in good emotions, we can't trust those things. 00:46:09.000 |
where we are in sin that we're in a place of peace. 00:46:11.600 |
There are those of us who are sitting in this room 00:46:14.300 |
who are living in unrepentant sin, in rebellion, 00:46:35.600 |
We trust in the fact that what he says is true. 00:46:47.080 |
How long, oh Lord, will you forget me forever? 00:47:02.120 |
He says, but I have trusted in your lovingkindness. 00:47:16.800 |
And thirdly here, we're called to surrender our will, 00:47:25.580 |
It can't be something that we just resolve in our minds 00:47:33.400 |
oh, that sounds great, I'll get to it one day. 00:47:42.600 |
with all of your heart means you surrender your will. 00:47:45.720 |
What you do, the decisions you make, it cannot sit there. 00:47:54.440 |
and not merely hearers who, listen to what it says, 00:48:07.320 |
Remember, this trust isn't something that comes overnight. 00:48:15.360 |
Like in any relationship, it's built with time. 00:48:29.280 |
Before you go to bed, trust in the Lord with all your heart. 00:48:58.920 |
sometimes you'll see a picture and it says PC, 00:49:01.160 |
and that means, I think, I think photo credit. 00:49:07.560 |
and they're saying, I didn't take the picture, 00:49:12.560 |
so I don't know why that makes any sense for me, 00:49:17.660 |
They'll say, Daniel Hsu, or something like that, right? 00:49:21.420 |
And it's like, I'm giving acknowledgement to this man, 00:49:27.300 |
Or at the end of an event, somebody will come up, 00:49:31.740 |
They'll say something like, hey, can we acknowledge 00:49:35.900 |
And then everybody gives them a big round of applause. 00:49:45.540 |
in this word here, acknowledge God, but it's not complete. 00:49:49.600 |
Acknowledge means to know, or to learn to know. 00:49:59.140 |
Or more specific to this text, it means to know a person, 00:50:05.620 |
Basically, acknowledge God means to know God. 00:50:14.220 |
It means to understand, to walk with this God, 00:50:18.500 |
and know that his character and his ways are true. 00:50:25.460 |
even if every evidence points away to the fact 00:50:35.380 |
I've come to know with all of my experiences, 00:50:38.020 |
and now, even if everything seems like it's going awry, 00:50:41.600 |
even if it seems like all my logic and rationale 00:50:44.000 |
is pointing against that, when I was growing up, 00:51:03.520 |
who was always second to last being picked up, 00:51:37.540 |
If I run home, it might take only an hour and a half. 00:51:44.440 |
He finally came, because that's who my dad was. 00:51:58.840 |
Telling him these things, but this is who he was. 00:52:06.760 |
to be acquainted with him, to understand him, 00:52:08.960 |
to know that he has pulled through time and time again, 00:52:11.720 |
that I know who he is, that your friends are coming 00:52:14.200 |
and saying, "Hey, it doesn't make sense to trust in him. 00:52:20.440 |
"He's done nothing good for you in your life. 00:52:35.600 |
Every page in Scripture, every page of my life, 00:53:08.080 |
Do we understand the words that come after this? 00:53:13.140 |
And we know that God causes all things to work together 00:53:20.640 |
to those who are called according to his purpose. 00:53:40.040 |
As a Christian, we have staked our lives on this fact 00:53:44.040 |
that he will work all things together for good 00:53:46.440 |
to those who love God, for those whom he foreknew. 00:53:53.180 |
so that he would be the firstborn among many brethren. 00:53:56.440 |
And these whom he predestined, he also called. 00:54:00.360 |
And these whom he justified, he also glorified. 00:54:14.960 |
And so he says, if God is for us, who is against us? 00:54:23.560 |
How will he not also with him freely give us all things? 00:54:31.500 |
We say like we do all things for God's glory. 00:54:34.720 |
We want every decision we make to be for God's glory. 00:54:44.960 |
Then we are called to trust in him in these things. 00:55:05.120 |
Now it's acknowledge in everything that you do. 00:55:15.240 |
small decisions, big decisions, it's not devoid of God. 00:55:23.280 |
of whether something that I want is gonna be taken away, 00:55:32.320 |
Not just the things that are easy and the medium things. 00:55:39.640 |
Regardless of repercussion, we live in the face of God. 00:55:43.680 |
We live living in his presence and understanding who he is. 00:55:47.000 |
And so all the things that we do, it's God is there. 00:55:54.160 |
God is there in our workplaces, in our rooms. 00:56:07.980 |
And faith is grown because it is not just a theology 00:56:13.160 |
that is ingrained in you over and over and over again. 00:56:17.720 |
We have a class here that maybe we'll make a class, 00:56:23.800 |
And we tell you every time, hey, God is trustworthy. 00:56:37.440 |
even when everything feels like it's so hard to do that. 00:56:44.920 |
And he proves himself trustworthy and my faith grows. 00:56:51.980 |
When I was teaching my eldest, Addie, how to swim, 00:56:59.300 |
again, I can't remember if I gave this image before, 00:57:04.680 |
she was clinging onto the side of the swimming pool. 00:57:21.560 |
Putting myself in her shoes, that is terrifying. 00:57:28.320 |
because she, as a, you know, when she had the floaties on, 00:57:38.480 |
her trust transferred from the floaties to the wall. 00:57:45.920 |
her tiny little fingers clinging to the wall. 00:57:49.280 |
Right here was white and right here was red, you know. 00:58:02.520 |
And she was like, we're going back and forth. 00:58:10.760 |
You know, like, I was using every trick in the book. 00:58:14.760 |
the words I would use, it's like, "Don't you trust me? 00:58:25.280 |
And for her, I understand, she's clinging on. 00:58:33.100 |
She needs to let go, turn her body, and that's it. 00:58:53.280 |
You know, like, "Do you think you're going to start, 00:58:55.560 |
"like, drowning, and I'm just going to watch you?" 00:58:59.080 |
No, she finally turned, and I said, "Okay, do you trust me?" 00:59:04.120 |
And I remember her taking one hand off the wall. 00:59:08.400 |
and then she, like, kind of reached towards me, 00:59:13.520 |
Now, a question I have for you is, when is trust born? 00:59:22.960 |
when is faith and belief, when is it birthed? 00:59:33.760 |
I'm sure all of you would say what I'm going to say now. 00:59:36.480 |
Trust is born when she let go, and she turned towards me. 00:59:48.640 |
and literally, she turned, and she clung onto me, 01:00:42.340 |
in the places that promise rest, peace, joy, happiness. 01:00:50.320 |
He says, "Don't trust in your own understanding." 01:00:54.180 |
John Piper says, "It is insanity to trust in himself." 01:01:09.080 |
But fools don't look like fools, to the world looks wise. 01:01:23.000 |
It's promising something, we put our trust in it. 01:01:27.800 |
He asks this question, almost as if he's looking 01:01:35.200 |
"Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 01:01:38.400 |
"the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, 01:01:40.360 |
"God was well pleased through the foolishness 01:01:42.040 |
"of the message preached to save those who believe." 01:01:47.120 |
This is what the Jews and the Greeks would cling to. 01:01:56.800 |
"a stumbling block to Jews, to Gentiles' foolishness, 01:02:00.200 |
"but to those who are called both Jews and Greeks, 01:02:02.040 |
"Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God, 01:02:04.000 |
"because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, 01:02:06.200 |
"and the weakness of God is stronger than men." 01:02:08.440 |
So not leaning on your own understanding means 01:02:12.040 |
that number one, you cultivate a biblical world view, 01:02:14.640 |
and number two, you live in accordance to it. 01:02:16.880 |
That's what it means not to lean on your own understanding. 01:02:51.520 |
In Solomon 14.1, it says, "The fool has said in his heart, 01:02:58.680 |
who profess with their mouth that we trust God, 01:03:01.000 |
and yet by the fact that we place trust in things, 01:03:06.040 |
that he is not trustworthy, or something like that. 01:03:10.360 |
There is no God is what we're saying by our lifestyle, 01:03:25.400 |
Most of us in here are leaning on something right now. 01:03:30.080 |
You sat down because you put 100% of your faith 01:03:34.480 |
It means to allow something to take your weight. 01:03:40.760 |
And this thing that we are tempted to lean on 01:03:52.360 |
We cling to ourselves, and that everything needs to connect, 01:03:58.920 |
Or I'll give you a certain amount of time, God, 01:04:02.040 |
this much time I'll give that I'll trust in you, 01:04:05.360 |
then I guess I gotta take things into my own hands. 01:04:19.720 |
but if a month goes by and nothing's changed, 01:04:21.680 |
we can go right back to our own understanding. 01:05:17.600 |
You don't know what's going behind that mountain. 01:05:25.400 |
and look at all the qualifications He needs to give. 01:06:04.960 |
Notice it doesn't mean we throw out our brain. 01:06:10.080 |
It means that we are evaluating things so differently. 01:06:15.680 |
even to the point where Apostle Paul would say, 01:06:35.560 |
And I realized that you could just so quickly 01:06:40.360 |
read the story of a man through his belongings. 01:06:49.080 |
Came across bank statements and journal entries, pictures. 01:06:56.320 |
It's going through the entirety of a man's life. 01:07:31.360 |
the fact that I stand on a pulpit behind a mic, 01:07:34.200 |
expounding on these great and fabulous truths, 01:07:39.240 |
and I had to reflect upon that and ask myself, 01:07:45.640 |
man, I cannot be up here saying trust in the Lord 01:08:14.400 |
let's stop just saying like we're following Jesus. 01:08:34.360 |
It would make no sense to just sit there and just lie. 01:08:54.600 |
We force God's word to mean what we want it to mean. 01:09:37.600 |
You can trust in God and yet go after whatever it is 01:09:47.840 |
Again, remember the time you gave your faith to Christ. 01:09:53.400 |
You wanted to give God everything at the time, 01:10:58.800 |
Does straight mean that it looks like the way 01:11:05.000 |
That's why he has instructed us to trust in him 01:11:19.600 |
because trusting him leads us into darkness and danger, 01:11:22.280 |
trusting him will lead us into threats to career. 01:11:24.800 |
It will lead us into threats to our bank accounts, 01:11:34.320 |
will sometimes come with great sacrifice and consequences. 01:11:38.840 |
Philippians chapter three, verse 10 says that, 01:11:40.400 |
"I may know him and the power of his resurrection 01:11:51.160 |
that there will be blessings and joy and peace in Christ, 01:11:54.800 |
and it's going to be green and it's going to be good. 01:12:03.280 |
that he's going to take us directly into danger. 01:12:09.640 |
I was looking at a map here of Christ's road to the cross. 01:13:05.880 |
you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good. 01:13:11.600 |
Remember Joseph's life, how it brought him to this point. 01:13:32.120 |
they will trick themselves into thinking they know best. 01:13:36.780 |
that ultimately ends up prolonging the season of difficulty. 01:13:57.240 |
He would have taken you the straightest, best path. 01:14:02.360 |
This means that we'll have to wait many times actively 01:14:11.440 |
to trust that God will make your path straight. 01:14:18.760 |
Not that he will give you whatever it is that you want. 01:14:25.240 |
But we're okay with that because we trust him. 01:14:36.000 |
He says, "Part of the fruit of doing God's will 01:14:39.840 |
Many times we trust God as if he's going to just give me 01:14:56.860 |
So as we head towards New Year's Eve service, 01:15:22.180 |
Can I say that I trusted in the Lord with all my heart? 01:15:25.260 |
If you have accountability partners, message them. 01:15:35.220 |
But remind them that you want to trust in God. 01:16:12.580 |
to help us do what it is that we truly want here. 01:16:28.540 |
And so I pray, Lord, that our church would be one 01:17:02.940 |
that they would be able to trust in you fully. 01:17:06.340 |
I pray, God, for those who are in time of plenty 01:17:10.180 |
and that they're beginning to place their trust 01:17:14.700 |
that you would not allow them, God, to stray. 01:17:19.780 |
that if anyone in here has never placed their trust in you, 01:17:22.740 |
Father, I pray that you would help them to remember 01:17:36.660 |
to know that the only life is in trusting you, 01:17:47.500 |
For your great truths, in Jesus' name I pray, amen. 01:17:50.100 |
- Let us stand together for a little closing song. 01:20:46.340 |
♪ But see the mercy of your own Lord to save ♪ 01:21:06.060 |
♪ But see the mercy of your own Lord to save ♪