Faith: Fear to Joy

The Kid changes how you see your fear

[Scripture Reading]

1) For today’s sermon, let us turn to the Gospel of Luke 1:28-38. Let us all rise. Today, we’re going to read it responsively. I’ll read one verse, you guys the other, and we will read the last verse together.

Luke 1:28–38 (NIV)

2)28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.

30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.

3)31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.

32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,

33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

4)34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month.

5)37 For no word from God will ever fail.”

38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Amen.

[Welcome]

6)Good morning PW. Welcome to our 3rd week of Advent. Let’s take this time to greet one another. I want you all to turn to your neighbors and say, 7)“Our Savior is Coming.” That is right PW, our savior, our Messiah is coming. Jesus came into this world with a mission and that mission was to save us. And again he will come back to finish what he started. So throughout this week let us remember our savior Jesus and appreciate the salvation he had given us.

[Sermon]

I believe that there is Authority in the words we speak. If you declare to God with faith, God will listen to you and he will answer to the words that you spoke of. Guys you have to know what it means if I say this. Because I am like the most pessimistic person you’ll ever meet your life. As a pastor I may not curse your lives, actually I’ll do the opposite. But I would look at my life in the most depressing way that makes people who hear it feel miserable. I don’t do it as much as before, but I would say and think there is no hope in my life. Why? For, my life never turned out the way I wanted it to be. Being deported to and from countries, having been taken into custody, seeing your parents being humiliated. I have no trust in people. I think of the worst so that I do not get triggered when something bad happens to me. It is a defense mechanism that I just have. But the reason I say that there is authority in the words we speak, is because I saw it with my own eyes what happens when someone declares in true faith.

In the beginning of the year, my wife she declared 3 things. She said, God I want 3 things in 2024. 8)No.1 I want to be ordained. Which she did. 9)No.2: I want Kia Tigers to win the Korean Series. My wife is a huge baseball fan, especially Kia Tigers, and out of all the odds, Kia tigers won the Korean series. And on the day Kia Tigers won, her 3rd prayer was also answered. 10)No.3: I want to have a baby. That is right, like Pastor Matt’s Winter, we are also expecting a baby in June next year. All three things. God answered my wife’s prayers. You guys might think that he isn’t listening. But he listens to everything. I mean everything. All your hopes, all your happiness, all your sadness, no matter what they are, God is listening and he is going to answer to them all if you declare in faith. Today, I declare to God, Lord listen to all of our Power Wave students hopes and prayers today and answer them!

So in about 6 months time, I will become a dad. I have thought about it before, I’m still thinking over what kind of a dad I should become. I know, I’ll never be a cool dad. I am a control freak. I’m sure I’ll be a very nagging dad. I got to be honest. Because it is my first time becoming a dad I’m a bit nervous. I helped my sister to raise my nephews, I have enough practice changing diapers, putting them into a nap, and etc. I have the skills to take care of a baby, but just thinking about becoming a dad, thinking that I would now need to take care of this baby until he or she could live on their own makes me a little nervous. Actually little afraid. Because I can’t practice being a dad. Being a dad is just a real deal. I want to be a good dad, but can I really be? I am not quite sure. Being that pessimistic person, being that realist, I ain’t so confident.

I don’t think that you could relate to what I am saying but, after knowing that I am going to become a dad the scripture that we read meant completely different to me. I would never thought that I would be able to relate to Mary. But this scripture, it really touched my heart and felt hope for what is going to happen in my life next year.

In today’s scripture, Mary is visited by the Angel of God. Let’s read verse 28 together. On the count of 3. 1, 2, 3. Luke 1:28 11)“28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.””

All of a sudden, out of nowhere, Mary is visited by an Angel and it says to her, 12)“Wassup, Mary. Guess what? You’ve been chosen by God.” How would you feel if you were in Mary’s shoes? I would be like 13)“What? Me?” But instead of this awkward encounter, Mary is in great shock and she is in fear. Why? For to see a Godly being back in the days when Mary was around meant death. God, and the angels will appear to people to take them away. So, Mary thought to herself, “Oh gosh, I’m dead now.” She was trembling. Now, the angel obviously knows what’s going on, it tells her, “Don’t be afraid and share God’s plan that he has with Mary.” What were they?

Let’s read verse 31-33. On the count of 3. 1, 2, 3. Luke 1:31–33 14)“31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.””

Mary is to conceive a baby, that is going to be Jesus and Jesus is going to save mankind. For Mary, it was so Random. It did not make sense for her. As a T, I would have questioned myself. What did I eat for Lunch today? Man I am seeing and hearing things. That’s what Mary exactly do. She questions the Angel. “How could this be? I am a virgin.” What is she doing? She is thinking about the reality. Her conditions. It does not make sense for her to have a baby. But then the Angel answers her question in also another such random way. LEt’s read verses 35-37. On the count of 3. 1, 2, 3.

Luke 1:35–37 15)“35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.””

The angel explains to her how it was going to be possible which is the will of God that he is going to do through her life. It is the will of God for Mary to conceive and give birth to Jesus. So what? God is going to get it done. And nothing is more important than that.

Do you know what this means for us? We just heard that Mary was going to give birth to Jesus as a virgin and that was a will of God. This means that everything in our lives, happens through the will of God, and there is always a reason why somethings are happening in our lives. For Mary, she was just living a chilling life in Nazareth preparing to get married to Joseph. But out of the blue, the angel of the Lord comes down to her and drops a bombshell on her. Mary you are going to give birth to the messiah. She reacts with fear like any other people would do.

December 4th 2021, I got married. Our plan as a family was to get ordained in Korea, get some experience in the Korean Church then move to Australia to do ministry there. I have a heart for the Korean Churches in Australia. But then, after a month after our marriage, my wife and I, we both hear a calling from God. “Don’t go to Australia, go to the United States.” I have plans for you there. Literally, my reactions was, “Wat?” “US, Nah.” “God I enjoyed my study abroad there? But it isn’t the place for me to be at. I don’t want to start my life again as an immigrant.” Like moving countries it is one of the most stressful thing a person could go through. Language, culture that is one thing but, starting a life from the ground up not only in status and in relationship wise, it is not a nice experience. Because I already went through all of it in Australia and Korea, God I don’t want to Go to the US. But, when I shared this with my wife, we were in bed talking about this. She sat up on the bed and she said to me. “God is telling us to go. so we need to go.” Now you know who has a better faith in my family right? The reason I reacted with a “What?” is because I was afraid of what was going to happen here. The changes the shock. But then for me, God spoke to me through my wife. “I am sending you! So go!” Not only is this the command of God, do you all know what is implied in this command? Let’s read verse 37 together. Luke 1:37 16)“37 For no word from God will ever fail.””

No matter what, no matter how tough. No matter how fearful your lives may be in “No word from God will ever fail.” This is what God is telling us. For my fears, God help me to be obedient through the words that my wife shared with me. I didn’t know what it was, I still don’t know what it is, there is a reason for me to be here. For God will be victorious. All I need to do is just do it. Live it. Guys, and it is the same for all of you here. 17)What are your fears? What fearful things are you all going through at the moment? Seniors, probably College applications right? Juniors you all probably feel the heat now, as the seniors are done with their applications. Everyone has at least one thing that brings panic to your lives. But guess what? No word from God will ever fail. And do you know how we should react? Let’s read verse 38.

Luke 1:38 18)“38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.”

God, I am your servant. Do as you please. Today, I declare with faith. God. I am your servant, Do as you please. Follow after me. 19)“I am the Lord’s servant, Do as you please.” What I preached today, is so broad. If I don’t sum it up for you all, it is going to get confusing. So, I am going to simplify everything here. When Mary was visited by the Angel of the Lord, she was in fear. But the Good news that Jesus the kid was going to be born, her fear changed to obedience. 1 Thing I want you all to take home. Jesus changes fear to Joy and we call that faith.

Again, as soon to be dad, I am afraid, but for God has given our family this baby, I have faith that Jesus is going to turn this fear to joy. I hope that you all go home today with this same message.

What are your fears? Is it your uncertain future? Is it failure? Is it rejection? Is it Change? Is it disappointing others. Is it conflict. But today, through the scripture, God is telling us, the Good News, Baby Jesus is going to change that fear to joy. At this time when we pray, I want everyone to put their fear down at the feet of Jesus. Lord, I am afraid of these things in life. Lord, take this fear away from me, and lord change it to joy for Jesus Christ came to give us joy by changing fear. Like May, I want to confess that I am your servant. So, Lord take this fear away from me! At this time let us pray asking God to take our fear away from us. Let us pray.

[Response]

Let us all rise and sing No longer slave to response for today’s message.

[Benediction]

[Announcement]

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