Called to blessed

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For "Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.- 1 Peter 3:8‭-‬22 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

Having a self effacing attitude

For the good of others, leaving behind comfort whether physical, emotional, or spirit. To love people whether they agree with us or not. But to start with loving our fellow brothers and sisters.

The church is meant to be a refuge for believers. It is supposed to equip and refresh us.

The church is where we grow and mature our spiritual gifts. We cannot love by ourselves; this can only come out in community. We can only see how hard it is to love when we go to community group and try to love those different personalities.

Unity, sympathy, and love towards one another that acts as a witness to the world of God. It is a testimony to those around us of what the gospel really is. It is a peacemaker between even cultural enemies. It breaks down walls and barriers between every race, nation, personality, life stage, socioeconomic class, etc.

Even if you set about doing good to everyone, sometimes people will do you wrong. But keep doing good, but keeping Jesus separate. What does this mean? It is to know that God is in control and Jesus has risen.

To truly do good, we must share the gospel. We cannot serve without sharing the hope in which we believe. We cannot share only when people are friendly. We must be prepared to share and defend the faith. We must have answers to the current day objections to believing in Jesus. Accusations of bigotry, intolerance, and disbelief. We need to be prepared. This is why there is apologetics. Tim Keller's book, The Reason for Good, is a good staying point. But even better is to just talk to non-Christians and these barriers to belief will come up over and over again.

Hypocrisy is speaking of the love and grace of Christ and going nothing for the poor and the downtrodden. It is not just action, but inaction. Sin is not just what we do, but also what we fail to do. If the doors of our church were to close, would the community notice? Would they weep for the loss of a light and a help here in this place? Or would they just shrug? May this be true not only for our church, but also for us individually. May they see our good works and wonder about Christ. Not for our glory, but His alone.

The living temple

As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame." So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone," and "A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense." They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. - 1 Peter 2:4‭-‬12 ESV

Rev. Kyu Lee

What is church?

We have ideas, but many of them can cloud. Many Americans have decided that they do not need church; they can commune with God without it. Some of us see church as a store of spiritual products. Christian celebrity culture is the result. We idolize specific personalities and ministry heads. We go church "shopping" to find a church that fits our needs. The vast majority of church goers become pew warmers who leave the work to the "professional" ministers (pastors, elders, & deacons). All of these things fall shirt of the biblical vision of church given to us by God. We, the church, are called to a higher purpose. Church is more than just for our own individual needs & desires.

History (background) of the church

The temple is where people can meet with God. This is His address, so to speak. If there is a temple in your city, then you know God is in your place. The tabernacle is the first temple of God. In Exodus, God gives some very detailed instructions about the tabernacle. Everything down to the furniture, even the recipe for the oil to be used for the lamp stands.

The tabernacle actually resembles the garden of Eden. Both entrances face the east. They are guarded by cherubim. The angels with wings guard the ark of the covenant. In Eden, Adam meets with God. The tabernacle is also where the presence of God can be found. The tabernacle represents things that we have lost after the fall. It is a taste of what we had before. The temple is the same, but brick and some rather than tents.

It (the church) is a model of the coming redemption of the earth. The new heavens and the new earth are represented in the temple and the tabernacle. Jesus supersedes both. He is the presence of God. The tabernacle and the temple are a sign/reflection of Jesus. The temple was a place of sacrifice. Animals were brought and sacrificed for their sins. Jesus is both the sacrifice and the priest. We no longer need animal sacrifices, because Jesus was the sacrifice. So the church is the new temple. The church is where God lives and dwells. The church should reflect and give a taste of the new world to come. We are a model of the coming restoration of creation.

Cornerstone of this temple is Jesus

The cornerstone is the first stone set down. It must be perfectly straight and perfectly aligned. Any deviation would threaten the integrity of the building. Jesus is the cornerstone. We are to align ourselves according to Christ. We can distort or lose sight of this. Jesus was rejected by the religious leaders and the political powers of his day. He is not the successful one. He's not the prospering one. He makes his place with the marginalized and the poor. Not the successful, not the prospering... but the lowly.

He (Jesus) stumbles people. We often make others stumble. We don't reflect Christ well. Or we are proud and self promoting rather than Christ promoting. Let them stumble over Christ instead. Let then struggle with God instead. That is the life of faith. We are marked by God. We have a calling, a charge from God. We are prophets. We are to proclaim Jesus and the good news. We are priests. We lay down our lives for the sake of our friends. We pray for them and sacrifice our lives for them. We are royal. We are to extend God's kingdom and his rule. We are to expand the number of those who worship and obey Jesus. We aren't here to make money to buy bigger and better toys. We aren't here for ourselves. We are to love a life on mission for God. We are to love and respect people around us.

Hope leading to holiness

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. - 1 Peter 1:13‭-‬21 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

Meaning of holiness

What does it mean to be holy? What is it exactly? It is embedded in the verse. Be holy as God is holy. It is a communicable attribute. We can't be omniscient or omnipotent like God. But we can be God-like.

So how can we be like him? He is totally other. He is set apart from everything else. He is transcendent. We can be other in regards to our relationship with others. We are totally other in how we live our lives. We should be distinct from the world and the culture around us. We are called to be thermostats, not thermometers. We don't reflect the culture around us, but rather we are to set and change the environment.

We are supposed to look like God. How does God look like in human form? That's easy. Jesus is the word in flesh. He accurately reflects God's character to the world. Holiness should not be confused with haughtiness. Holiness comes along with humility; we know this because of what we see in Jesus' life.

Motivation for holiness

Paul uses the word, therefore. This means that he has an important point to make. The command to be holy, comes after talking about what Jesus has already done. In Christ, we are elect exiles, saved. Because Jesus has done for us, we are to do these things. This is a pattern in many parts of the Bible. The ten commandments, for instance, tells is all these things to do. But right before, God says
"I am the Lord, your God..." God has saved and claimed them as his, therefore, act like this. We aren't earning anything. It is the response to what God has already done. Indicative comes before imperative.

We are compelled because Christ has died for us. We are commanded for the same reason. We are not doing these things to be saved. But rather as a way to express gratitude, thankfulness, and joyfulness for salvation. We can obey because of what has already been done.

The faith that saves is always accompanied by good works. A faith that does not result in a desire for good works is a dead faith.

We were slaves to sin and death. Our fathers both biological and thinking give us ways of thinking that are futile. From cultural, philosophical, and other modes of thinking... we have inherited ways of living and thinking that are useless. But God frees is from these things. We no longer need to live according to those rules. We have a new Master.

Maturing in holiness

Even though we were enemies of God, He saved us. In Christ, we have an eternal inheritance. God's salvation of us frees us from having to impress others. We can do good works without looking for other's approval. We are already loved and approved by God through the death and life of Jesus. This allows us to genuinely love others. Without envy, without pride, without ulterior motives, without needing their approval.

The glorious gospel

Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever." And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
1 Peter 1:10‭-‬12‭, ‬21‭-‬25 ESV

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
1 Peter 2:1‭-‬3 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

The central focus of the Word of God is the Gospel, the good news. It is news, as in history. It is not good advice. It is what has already happened.

Centrality of the Gospel

Suffering comes before glory. There are many examples of this in the Bible, but the death and resurrection of Christ is foundational. The prophets, though prior to Christ, knew of the foretold suffering Messiah. From 1400BC, in Genesis, there is a passage prophesying about the coming Christ. "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel." (Gen 3:15 ESV) The old testament is not just a historic record, but it is about Christ.

We cannot read the scriptures properly without a focus on Christ. This will result in legalism and self centered living. We will descend into either self righteousness or guilt ridden living. We cannot find joy in the word of God.

Children's storybook Bible
God's big picture
Getting the message

Depth of the Gospel

Angels don't need salvation. They are observing history from another perspective and the gospel is awe inspiring. While the gospel is simple, it is also full of unsearchable riches and the vastness of it's implications. The reason the gospel is mundane and boring is not the gospel, but it is the heart within us. The gospel should impact and transform all aspects of our lives and how we see things. It will take an eternity for us to wrap our minds around what the gospel is and has accomplished.

The Transformative Gospel

The gospel is an imperishable seed. It brings about eternal life. But it is not just for the start of our spiritual lives, but it is also necessary for our growth and maturity. The gospel is sustenance. The gospel is not minimal required theology, it is the full knowledge of living.

Living Hope

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. - 1 Peter 1:1‭-‬9 ESV

Rev.  Dwight Yoo

The nature of hope

We don't have the same hope as hoping for something that may or may not come. Christians have a hope based upon the resurrection of Jesus. It is based upon a promise from God. It is not wishful thinking. Hope gives our lives meaning. In the Christian view, faith is confident expectation.

The object of hope

Even of you lose all your earthly things, you h have a heavenly inheritance that no one can take away. What is this inheritance? It is not just houses. It is many things, but primarily it is God himself. God's salvation includes many rewards and heaven, but above all it is living and bring in the presence with Jesus & God.

The power of hope

The confident expectation of heaven can allow us to endure suffering. We can find joy, and sometimes, even rejoice in the midst of persecution and pain. Trials are for refining our faith. It is not God testing us, but God working on us through tough situations.

We are constantly tempted to put our hopes in other things rather than in God and heavenly things. Pain forces us to confront whether we believe what God says. Whether God and God alone is enough. All our other hopes can disappoint. How can we know that we can withstand these trials and tribulations? The word says we are guarded by God's power. God gives faith and salvation, then he guards us for that salvation.

The persuasive power of the word

I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!— I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. - 2 Corinthians 10:1‭-‬6 ESV

Pastor Paul Park

The word is for spiritual battle. The devil and demons are real. We forget or often dismiss that we are in a war. Unless you know what the word is for, it is hard to understand why we need the word. The word is referred to as a sword. Who goes to battle without a sword?

But it not just about carrying around the Bible. We must know and use it. We battle in the flesh, but not according to the flesh. All of us are human with limitations, but not all of this is sinful. We don't know everything. We are created and not divine. There is a humility in trusting in God's wisdom and not our own.

What are the strongholds?

They are rationalizations and lofty opinions that are anti-gospel. They keep us from living lives devoted and joyfully for God. We are not trying to take down the castle walls, but the inner defenses within the castle. We need renewal from these ways of thinking. Here are some questions that can guide us:

How can a good God allow suffering?
How can God send people to hell?
Why is Christianity so exclusive?
Hasn't Christianity caused many wars?
Isn't science truer than any religion?

What can take our thoughts captive? Here's some popular modes and ways of thinking.

"Be all that you can be!"
Celebrity/consumer mindset - (we follow what is flashy and attractive to our eyes and ears.)
"You can do anything you want/Chase your passions"
Relativism/intolerance - (it's true for you, not for me/don't judge me/don't offend anyone)
Materialism - (there is only what you can see/touch/taste.)

If we don't take every thought captive to Christ, then the thought is captive to something else. It is in rebellion. It is a question of autonomy. Who is in charge? Jesus or us? When we don't do take them all captive, we are effectively saying, Christ is not better than ______. We are saying we know better than God what is best. Many of our sins and addictions stem from this. Is Jesus better than any of your goals and dreams? Is Jesus better than your life? Jesus calls us to submit our thoughts, dreams, goals, and lives... Not just once, but everyday. If your heart is not captive to Christ, how can you captivate others to Christ? If Christ is not persuasive in your life, then how can you persuade others?

We are not persuasive in being argumentative. It is being gracious and loving. We aren't trying to prove a point or be correct. We are trying to rescue the other person from destructive ways and habits. We are not dropping "truth bombs" but walking with them. We need to suffer with them and love them.

The Disciplines Of The Word

How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, O Lord ; teach me your statutes! With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.
Psalms 119:9‭-‬16 ESV

Teach me, O Lord , the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways. Confirm to your servant your promise, that you may be feared. Turn away the reproach that I dread, for your rules are good. Behold, I long for your precepts; in your righteousness give me life!
Psalms 119:33‭-‬40 ESV

You have dealt well with your servant, O Lord , according to your word. Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments. Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word. You are good and do good; teach me your statutes. The insolent smear me with lies, but with my whole heart I keep your precepts; their heart is unfeeling like fat, but I delight in your law. It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
Psalms 119:65‭-‬72 ESV

Rev. Charles Han

What do we need to do to get the most out of God's word?

Prayer

Prayer and scripture go together. Prayer needs to be empowered by scripture. Bible reading needs to be approached prayerfully. We are not naturally inclined to notice the goodness nor order our lives by the word of God. Our hearts are more inclined towards worldly pleasures and gain. Prayerlessness can often make scripture reading fruitless. It can change rout reading into an life changing encounter with God.

Meditation

Do you wish to sin less? Or walk more in the way of God? Hide his word in your heart. Store it up by meditating on it. This is Christian mediation, not eastern meditation. It is not about emptying your mind, but rather about filling our minds with God who brings true peace. We need to fix ourselves on the concrete character of God in scripture. It is not just hearing or reading, but you need to chew and digest the word.

Memorize some scripture for a day or a week. Use it to shape your desires, thoughts, and actions. Even if you keep forgetting, keep going. Get back up and get back into it.

Trial

Why is this one of the main disciplines? Only in the midst of our real needs, struggles, and sins does scripture become real. Only through the bitter cold of winter do you know the glorious joy of spring.

God's word only comes with grace and truth when we are in the struggle of life and pain. Suffering brings scripture to life. We can be theological giants but with small hearts and insufficient experiential understanding. God's desire is for us to speak god's word with genuine grace and understanding... And this comes thorough suffering. God exalts scripture through our suffering. God will bring trials for our good.

How does the psalm end? He ends on a note of straying like a lost sheep, one who is backsliding. He needs a savior. There is only one blameless one with a perfect devotional life. He was the afflicted one. This is Jesus. It is not about your commitment to His word, but rather His devotion to you.