Do The Right Thing

Integrity Does What’s Right

[Scripture Reading]

1)For today’s message, let us turn to the book of Proverbs 11:3. Let us all rise and recite the scripture together. On the count of 3. 1, 2, 3.

잠언 11:3 NIV

2)3 The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

Amen.

[Welcome]

Good morning PW! Welcome to first Sunday worship service of February 2025. Let’s take this time to greet one another. Let’s turn to our neighbors and say 3)“Let’s Encounter Jesus!” Amen. Starting from this Friday, we have our Winter Retreat coming up! Raise your hands if you are excited! More keen we are, we are more likely to meet Jesus! So, lets keep praying! and take part! As you all know we are learning on the theme of 4)“Integrity” and this month’s theme is also Integrity. I hope that through this month we would be able to know how to living righteously has to do with living the life of the disciples of Jesus.

[Sermon]

There is always consequences for the choices we make in our lives. Meaning that we need take responsibilities for the decisions that we make. Sometimes we can assume and think about what is to come and for that reason we stop to do something that is dumb. But sometimes we can’t quite judge and know what is going to happen and end up regreting certain choices you make. An as a stubborn and obstinate person, even though I know the results of what to come if I do make certain choices, I do it anyway. Why? Because I want to experience it first hand. There are few examples.

In elementary school when we learn about 5)electricity, the teachers teaches us that it is unsafe to put you finger into an electric socket. When I was in the 3rd grade, I was dumb enough to try it for my self. I had an lamp stand on my table without the light bulb in it. But for some reason, I think I was under the influence of stupidity, I stuck my finger in the socket. And instantly, 6)I felt electricity run through my veins. When it came to a dead end which is my heart, it started to squeeze my heart. To this day, I remember how it feels like. Thank God, I took out the finger straight away. If I was to hold on to something that had this electricity flow, I would not be here. But it does not end there. I forgot the term between the first encounter with electricity, not long after I did the same thing again. But anyways, there is consequences to your actions. If you do something stupid like me you could end up in heaven. That is the responsibility you need to deal with. That is what life is. So, all educational departments, they do their best to somehow teach their students to do the right thing. Not only do they educate you to not to do these dumb things but it sets and teaches an ideal called morals. Schools or any educational department will do their best to enforce morals and says that it is the right thing to do. It is what is asked for by the society. I agree to this. We need morals and we need to live by it. But I disagree with the fact that, we need to live a moral driven life for this society asks for it. Why? Because, I am not someone who live to the standards that this world places upon me. But I am disciple of Christ Jesus that lives the life that Jesus set for us.

Before I continue on to share more about morals and our motives to live our lives, I want to read today’s scripture one more time. On the count of 3. 1, 2, 3.

잠언 11:3 NIV

7)3 The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

Proverbs is a book which illustrates the wise ways to live life. And in Proverbs 11:3, the author is comparing two groups of people. One group which has integrity, whereas the other does not and they seemed to be unfaithful. We can’t say that they are opposite to one another but when we put God into this situation, those having integrity in God could be the opposite to being unfaithful to God. The results of these two groups of people acting the way they are as those with integrity and those who are unfaithful. People who have integrity, they are upright in God. And because they are upright and know where they are headed, they are guided to the path of God. However, the unfaithful are destroyed. Just according to this scripture, it is encouraging us to have integrity for it will lead our lives to where God is.

Let’s leave this word as the basis and I want to share another story of my life.

When I was a Senior in College, I was preparing to get into Graduate School to pursue my calling as a Pastor. To make it more easy to understand my situation, I want to share the process of becoming a Reverend. So in order to become a Reverend. An ordained Pastor. You need to graduate college with a Bachelors Degree, Go to a Grad School that offers a Master of Divinity Course and finish a 3 year course work. After graduation, you either have to do a 2 years full time internship, or 3 years half time and 4 years part time internship. Take the Ordination exams which consists of 6 subjects. So, in other words you need to study a lot, and take numerous amounts of tests to become an Ordained Pastor.

So, when I was preparing myself to get into Grad school, there was a special admissions for the Alumni’s of my college. So if you had an average of B+ grades, and have a 550 english proficiency test score(which is easy for people like us), you can get into Grad school without taking the bible exam which is known to be nortorious. That is why a lot of people came to my college, so that they could enter into Grad school easily. For me, I had my english score ready, but because I played too much in my freshman years, I needed to make up for my grades. So, my senior years were all about studying. I did my best to get good grades, but I messed up my Hebrew Exam. After the finals, I knew it would be very close to be qualified for the special admission. So, I made calculations of my grades and came to a conclusion that I need at least an C+ on my Hebrews to get into Grad school. Like how I just said I messed up my Hebrews right. I was expecting a D. So, I made this dumb plan. Let’s sweet talk the professor so that he would give me good grades. I sent him a text. I shared a link of a youtube lecture on Hebrew and asked him. “Is this a good channel to learn Hebrew?” My intentions were to show that , I know I screwed up, but I am going to study, and get better.” After my professor read the message. He called me up straight away and he started screaming at me. He knew my intentions straight away and he said this. “You said that you want to become a Reverend. But as you start off this new life, why are you trying to deceive others. Why are you lying and tricking others. Because of this, I am going to give you a bad grade and I want you to look back on your life and calling.”

I was shocked. I panicked. Not only the fact that I needed to take the entrance exam, but everything my professor said was true. Pastors shouldn’t deceive others. They shouldn’t trick others. But I was doing all of that at the start line of becoming a 목사님. When I realized that I was so ashamed of myself. I questioned, “Why do I want to be a Pastor?” Through the professors words I looked back on my life and I decided on that day, “Let’s be legit.” Do the right thing. Why? Not because what this world tells us. But it is the right thing to do as followers of Christ for it is a way to honor God. When we live doing the right things in life, that glorifies God. And like Proverbs 11:3, doing the right thing guides our lives to be the salt and life of this world. When we do the right thing to honor God, people who does not know God and Jesus they are going to be able to see God through our lives. That is a life filled with integrity.

Why do we need to live a moral driven life? Because that honors God. And that is our calling. The reason we have to be truthful, for it is our act of honoring God! So, the professor, he gave me a C. And because of this C, I was not able to get into grad school through the special admissions. After this incident my life changed. I valued being honest and what it means to own up on what you say and do. As I was preparing for the exam, I was able to read the bible and look through it thoroughly too. And ultimately, I was accepeted into the program. just after a 3months of studying for this entrance exam. I cried when I was confronted of my wrong doings. But after being enlightened that I need to do the right thing, my life Changed. My relationship with Jesus changed for I had his integrity in me.

Dear PW. Let’s do the right thing. Not because the world wants us to do it. But because it is God’s calling to live an integrity driven life. It is the way to honor God. At this time, I want us to look back on our lives. Are you living a stupid life? Are you living according to what this world says? Or are you living according to the calling of God. It doesn’t matter where you are at. But today, let us come to God. Lord, let me do what’s right. Let me do what’s right, so that I could live a life guided by you. Let me do the right thing. I want you to pick me up out of my graves and let me live in your garden for it is where your plans are. For it is God and only God that can deliver us.

[Response]

Graves to Gardens.

[Benediction]

[Announcement]

Birthday

Retreat