Growing Pains

Your space in the world will change over time.

[Scripture]

1)For today’s sermon, let us turn to the book of Philippians 2:3-6. Let us all rise and recite the scripture together. On the count of 3. 1, 2, 3.

2)3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,

4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

Amen.

[Sermon]

Good morning PW. Welcome to the last Sunday Worship service of November 2024. Let’s take this time to greet one another. Let’s turn to our neighbors, and say, 3)“You look much more like Jesus than last week.” Even if it is not true, everyday, we need to do our best to be like Christ. As a born again Christian, as a disciple of Christ it is our duty to be more like him and I truly hope to see you all grow through todays message as well.

For the past month, I have been teaching you all kinds of new vocabulary. Whether it was an Hebrew, Korean, modern Korean. I have overdone myself. But that is going to stop me from teaching you all another new word. This time it is a British English. The new word is called, 4)“Spurter.”

Does anyone have any clue what this means? According to the Collins Dictionary, the British word, 5)“spurter” means “a person or thing that spurts” Pretty easy right? But then what does spurt mean? 6)“A sudden marked burst or increase of activity or speed.” So to simplify this definition, spurter is someone of something that suddenly marked a increase of activity or speed.” But guys, is there such thing? May be a 7)frilled neck lizard? When it gets scared of frightened it would run off into the desert like the definition. But would a person be a spurter? Athletes and runners would be sprinters. So, not really and because it is lack of use, in the states there is no such word. However, Brits and all the countries that use the British English we use this word on people. When? When we talk about our 8)growth.

You all know this right? 9)“Growth Spurt” It means, “A sudden growth in one's body, especially during adolescence.” It is when you all go through puberty. When you go through that phase of growing. Something that you all went through or going through or going to go through except me. Never in my life, have I experienced this. I was always short and never experienced this “growth spurt” what so ever. I gradually grew to where I am now. So I was never a spurter.

Some people who I would like to call or it might be an Aussie thing but an 10)“early spurter.” It is people who grows quick and finishes quick. For example my wife. If you all know her, she is not that tall but she was already at her height in 3rd grade. Which means that she had her prime in her 3rd grade. But I have never had my prime. When I was in High school, I thought I was going to be a late Spurter. But no, after the visit to the doctors they gave me the final verdict that I have stopped growing.

I hate going through pain but, it is my wish to experience growing pains for it is something that I would never experience in my life. Guys, if you are going through that growing phase and hate the pain, just think of me and overcome that pain.

But guys, despite my short height, it does not change who I am. I am over that, I accept who I am the way I am. It is not painful that I have to live the rest of my life like this. I could hope to grow taller but I wouldn’t cry and pray over it. For my values and my worth does not come from height. I as a pastor, my value come from the fact that I am called by God to take on his minstry. My value come from the Jesus like Character that I do my best to build. It does not come from the height I have. Even though my height is not at the height that I want but the way I see this world and the person that God wants me to be has changed. And because of that I stand here trusting in God to do his ministry. How? For I have found the strength of God in me. And I truly hope that you all be able to find exactly the same thing through today’s scripture.

In today’s scripture Paul is writing a letter to the church of Philippi. Let’s read it one more time.

11) “3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,

4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;”

What is it saying? It is saying, “Be Humble. Look into other’s interests not yours and have that mindset of Jesus.” What is that mindset? “Jesus was and is God but he did not use that for himself but for others.” Build this character. Think that others are better than you. Think of others before you. But guys was this easy for Jesus? Let’s read Matthew 26:37–39

12)“37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled.

38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.””

Was it easy for Jesus to take that cross? Nope it wasn’t. Even for Jesus, even for son of God to think in others interests was a hard thing to do. Going through that trouble he had to pray to God. He needed God’s strength for him to face crucifixion. But then you might ask, why on earth do we need to do what Jesus struggled with? Even Jesus couldn’t do it with his own strength. How can we do this? For that is what we are called to do. To do the impossible with God and show who God is to everyone on earth. That is why there is pain and suffering. But after that pain and suffering like our body, there is growth!

When we go through trouble in life, we want the easy way out. You want it to finish quick. You want to get it done and over with. So what do we do? We cut corners to get away from it. But no matter how hard we try, it never will just disapear. For the disappearing of pain and suffering is not what God wants from us, but he wants us to grow in that process. Like how the early spurters have their glory early and lose their prime quick, when we try to cut corners the same things happen. But instead if you face the suffering to way that God wants, then you will grow for God is with you in that phase. What is that God’s way? That is the Philippian way. In that time of suffering, accept it as God’s teaching and training and don’t concentrate on what you are going through now but on the intrests of others. That’s when we arrive at the peak of the growth that was intended for you.

I don’t know if you all remember but I told you all before that I slept a lot when I was first deported to Korea. Why? Because I wanted to get away from the reality. It worked for the time asleep but it never changed the next morning. Every morning, I woke up more miserable than ever. No matter how hard I tried to avoid the present, life hit me harder. But when I God’s word came into my life, the hell like present became my training ground. God was with me through my studies. God was with me in every moment learning Korean and Korean culture. Now, changes that happen, its nothing. Because I was able to face my pain head on with God I grew to who I am now. Not in height but in Character. I know I ain’t perfect but you should have seen me when I was in High School. Because I was set on serving God, because I thought of God’s ministry more than the suffering and pain that I was facing, I grew to be more like Jesus. When you accept that pain, at the time of your growth spurt you will grow to an extent that you can even handle. Look at David. His life was on the line but through that time living as a fugative that trained him to be the most honored King of Israel. Because of Jesus’ suffering ultimately by taking on his situation in the interest of his people he became our savior! In the pain and suffering, through time there is going to be growth!

Now I want to ask you all this question. 13)What suffering are you facing now? What is the pain that you are going through? Is it really your studies? Is it your relationship with friends and family? Is it with your relationship with God? Is it your inner conflict. That is you training ground. You are there on the verge of your growth spurt. I know it is hard but don’t run away from it. It could work now, but then you will lose that prime not long after. Don’t be an early spurter but take that time to grow. How are we going to do that? By taking the path that Jesus took. Humbling yourself. Thinking of other peoples interests. If it is your studies, think of why you are studying. Is it for yourself? Then you’re on the wrong track. If it is your relationship with friends and family? Think of their interests first. If it is relationship with God? Then ask where God is in that relationship. That is what we need to do. We need to be that humble like how Jesus showed his humility on the cross.

At this time, let us think about this message and come forth to pray to God.

Who here wants to face their problems head on to make it a time for your growth? Then through this prayer, let us make that commitment. “Lord God, I want to live my life to be like Jesus. Jesus in pain and suffering he took the cross. Because he thought of us instead of himself, he became our savior. Lord God I too want to live my life like Jesus. Let me live in the interests of others and not me.” Through this prayer let us make that commitment to change our lives. Let us pray.

Guys let’s pray for our problems. If you take this problem and solve it in God’s standard we are going to grow like David. But in order to do so, we need to be able to see our problems not in our own way but in God’s way. David had so many opportunities to kill his enemy Saul. But he never did why? For Saul was anointed by God and David knew that God was going to take care. He didn’t see Saul as the problem but he knew that he was anointed as King and that God was going to deal with everything. We need to see our problems in this way. What is real the problem? If you are thinking more about yourself in that problem? Then you are the problem for Jesus took is pain and suffering in others interests. “Lord, let my pain and suffering be for you and others. Lord let it be not for myself but for your Good and for others good.” With a sincere heart let us cry out to God with our prayers.

Dear loving and gracious father, we thank you for teaching us to be humble in our lives. Lord we want to be humble to grow in you. But in order to so, we want to deal our problems and suffering in others interests. Like Jesus let us take our suffering for others and grow to be more like him. Lord we have commited to change our lives. Let us practice this word in our lives. Lord we thank you and in Jesus’ name we pray Amen.

[Response]

Trust In God

[Benediction]

As we go into the world to live as your disciples, let us be humble and take on our suffering and hardship as your training and think in others interests.

For all who are here, may the grace of our lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and fellowship of the holy spirit be with us here and forevermore. Amen

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