The Giving Church

”… Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8b).

Did you ever hear the book titled “The Giving Tree”?  It is a children’s picture book written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein.  I heard about this book when I was in college.  The summary of the book is that the tree is very giving to its friend the boy even when he grew up to be an elderly man.  When he was a boy, he told the tree that he needed money.  So the tree told the boy to take its fruits and sell them and get money.  But when the boy grew up to be an adult, he came to the tree and told it that he needed a house.  So the tree told him to cut the branches and build the house.  And that’s why he did.  When he got older, he told the tree that he wanted to go far away because he was sad.  So the tree told him to cut its trunk and make a boat so that he could go far away.  Then, he got so old that he told the tree that he was looking for a place to rest.  So the tree told him to rest under its stump.  So the story is about the tree keep on giving to the boy even when he got older and it was happy (Internet).  When I first heard about this story, it was when my college friends wanted to organize the small group to do Mexico mission.  And we named the group “The Giving Tree”.  And I think that was my first time I went to Tijuana Mexico to do mission for the people who lived there.

When we look at the today’s passage Matthew 10:8b, the Bible says “Freely you have received, freely give.”  The background of this word was when Jesus called his 12 disciples; he gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness (v.1).  To them Jesus told “Free you have received, freely give.  I took this as the word that God gave us to VPC.  So I decided this year motto/theme as “The Giving Church”.  And it is my hope and prayer that we all commit ourselves to give God’s love, God’s comfort and God’s joy.

First, in this New Year 2017, I hope and pray that our church can be able to give God’s love to others.

Last year, our church motto was “The Sharing Church.”  We wanted to share God’s word, our prayer requests and God’s love.  In this New Year 2017, we want to give God’s love continually.  As we humble ourselves and become servants, like Jesus did, let us serve others, starting from our family members, our church members and so on.  Look at Philippians 2:8 - And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!  With Jesus’ attitude (v.5), let us humble ourselves and be obedient to the Lord and His commands.  As the Lord commanded us to love our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind and love our neighbor as ourselves (Mt.22:37-38).  Let us consider others better than ourselves and humbly serve them as we not only look our own interests but also the interests of others (Phil.2:3).   As we have positive interest of our neighbors, let us complement them and encourage them.  I hope that we love them enough to rebuke them in love.  Especially, let us commit ourselves in proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ to those whom God loves.  As we eat and share God’s word, I hope and pray not only that our faith grows but also our fellow brothers and sisters’ faith grows as well.

Second, in this New Year 2017, I hope and pray that our church can be able to comfort others.

In this world, so many people are hurting as they go through very difficult time of their own.  I believe it is God’s will for us to reach out to them and comfort them with God’s comfort that we received.  Look at Isaiah 40:1 - “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.”  God wants all of us to comfort his people.  We must obey his command and commit ourselves in comforting others.  Concretely speaking, let us commit ourselves in reaching out to those who are hurting.  And let us open our hearts and ears and listen to those who are hurting and suffering.  Let us pray for them with our compassionate hearts.  And when the indwelling Spirit reminds us the Word of God, let us give that word to others in sincere hearts.  May God use us to comfort others with His love.

In this New Year 2017, I hope and pray that our church can be able to give joy to others.

             This is what the Bible Psalms 90:10 says: “As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, Or if due to strength, eighty years, Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; For soon it is gone and we fly away.”  More and more as I live in this earth, I truly believe this word saying the days of our lives are gone so fast that I feel like we are flying away right now.  And as the Bible says, our days our pride is labor and sorrow.  People are working so hard and many of them are experiencing tears and sadness in their lives.  Especially, not only them but all of us well, we all have to experience sadness when our beloved family member passes away.  But our sadness is different from those who do not believe in Jesus.  Their tears are without hope, but our tears are with hope (1 Thess.4:13).  We have hope of resurrection.  We know that even though we had to be separated with those whom we love due to their death, we will meet again in heaven.  And in heaven, we will sing praises and worship God together with all the days of our lives.  Until that day, let us reach out and share the gospel of Jesus Christ to others.  Let us do so with joyful heart as we are filled with the Holy Spirit bearing fruit of joy.  And as we share the gospel to others, may God save them and give them joy that the world cannot give.

Let me conclude this message.  I thank God for this New Year joint worship where all three ministries are able to come together and worship God.  It is my hope and prayer that the Lord builds this church to be a giving church throughout this year 2017.  As a result, may we be able to give God’s love, God’s comfort and God’s joy to others.

As I meditate on the Father God’s love in giving his own Son Jesus Christ to us for our salvation,

James Kim