No Questions Asked

Forgive like you’ve been forgiven.

[Scripture Reading]

For today’s message, let us turn to the 1)book of Colossians 3:13. Let us all rise and recite the scripture together. On the count of 3. 1, 2, 3.

골로새서 3:13 NIV

2)13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Amen.

[Welcome]

Good morning PW. and welcome to today’s worship service. Let us take this time to greet one another. Let’s turn to our neighbors and say, 3)“Jesus saves.” Amen. Jesus saves. Jesus saved me, Jesus saved you and Jesus is willing to save those who come to him and believe in him. Today, we are continuing on the theme of 4)Give and Take. I hope through today’s message, that you all experience God’s saving power.

[Sermon]

I don’t have a lot of friends. I wasn’t like this before. I actually had quite a lot of friends, but as I got older and older, we parted and went our separate ways. Right now, I think I only have about 2 friends from High School that I still keep in touch with. As you get older and as you go your separate ways, and because you live in a different environment doing different things, it is natural to become estranged. Now, I don’t want to jinx anything, but you guys here are going to go your separate ways. It is not that you hate that person, it is not that you despise them, but because you do different things in life in different stages, it just comes naturally. But if you all center your lives around Christ and church, then there is a chance that you all could be good friends for a longer time. But any ways the reason I am speaking about the friendship is because I want to talk about a friend that I cut off from my life.

It is so hard to explain what kind of a friend hew was. I can describe his appearance. 5)He was just skin and bones. Big nose, with a plastic surgery eyes. Glasses. Strong 경상도 사투리. But there was one thing that really irritated me. He was an 6)attention seeker. I am not saying that, that is bad, don’t get me wrong. I am saying this because some of you guys recommended me to not to judge others for Lent. But any ways, the way he seeked attention from others were a little different. I am going to try to explain what it is. I am not sure if this is right metaphor but. Do you know that feeling, 7)when you smell something fishy. So you try to find the origin of that bad smell and start sniffing the bad stuff. But the hint of bad smell is so small that it is difficult to find. But because you can’t find it you keep sniffing harder and keep smelling the bad things. Do you guys know what that is? Anyway, he would irritate me like that. He knows what ticks me off. But he would not cross that line so that I can’t hit him. So what I would do is I would provoke him more so that he would cross that line. It is a toxic cycle.

I met this guy in college. He lived in a place called Busan, and I lived in a place called Changwon. It was like an hour distance meaning that I used the same dialect as this guy. But when I met him in Seoul, whenever he would publicly introduce himself, he would purposely speak in a weird Seoul accent and tried to make himself known. But as a person who knows the intention this guy had, I called him aside and said, “Can you like stop talking like that.” But then with such innocent face, “Which way?” “Like fake Seoul accent mixed with Kyungsangdo accent.” “I always speak like this.” “If I see you speak in another way, I am going to wack you.” This was like the first conversation that I had with him. But after a week I think, he gave up on that concept and started to talk in his original accent. After that, it was just all joke and fun with him. We had fun. We studied together. I laughed at him when got into a motorcycle accident and had to pay for the repairs of the other car. I laughed when he had to break his piggy bank that he had for to go on a trip to Europe. We hated each other but we also loved each other at the same time.

After graduating from Grad school, we couldn’t meet up as much and spend time together. We would talk on the phone once in a while and that was pretty much it. The reason being COVID. But during COVID, like everyone, I wen through a difficult time. Everything that I planned, everything that I wanted to get done did not happen. I had goals in life, but every time I come close to fulfilling that goal, I would slip all the way down to the bottom. For example, I was denied of my position that I earned. I was replaced by a less qualified and less experienced candidate. I was not satisfied with my life. But during that time, this friend, he sent me text with a photo of me making a fool out of myself on my church youtube video and said, “I’m keeping up with your videos .”

If I think about it now, it is nothing. But because I was at a such a low point in life, it got me so angry. So without saying anything, I ignored him and cut him out of my life. At first he probably thought that I just ignored his text. But when I got married, he sent me a text with $100 through Kakao Talk. But this time, I ignored his texts and did not accept the money. He wanted to congratulate me but because I was such a small minded person, I ignored him. And like that our 11 year friendship ended.

Because you are too close, because you know them so much, because of that reason we sometimes get so mad at our friends and family. It is barely nothing but that little thing changes to a catastrophe. For me that photo with a text saying that I am following you, made me cut him off from my life. Because he would make me get angry, I made that choice, I thought it was the right thing to do in order to protect myself. But whenever my wife or my parents or my other friends would talk about him, it made me feel so uncomfortable.

In April of 2023, I was ordained as a Reverend. So for this ordination ceremony, I went out to Korea. And before the ordination there was a camp with the candidates and the leaders of the Synod. But apparently, the head of my synod, was my unfriended friends dad. I didn’t know straight away, but his accent, his facial structure, and listening to his story, it was my friends dad. Small world. Before meeting him, I completely forgot about him. But just before ordination, just before becoming a 목사님, I was confronted with the thing that made me feel so uncomfortable. At that point, I thought about calling him to amend the relationship. So I pictured the phone call and thought how he was going to react. I could hear is voice with his accent acting all cool and saying that it was nothing. But just imagining this it got me mad so I was like, nah I am not. So, after the retreat, I came back home, talked to my wife my friends dad. I talked to my mother about him. What did they say back? Forgive him.

But guys, it was so hard to make that phone call. Don’t you all have that one person you just can’t forgive? You understand me right? I just couldn’t do it. But if I read today’s scripture in that stage in life, it would gave me the strength to call him but I didn’t. So let’s read it now.

골로새서 3:13 NIV

8)13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Paul is telling the church in Colossus. Forgive. Why? Not because you are righteousness. Not because you are good. Not because you are a kind being but because the Lord forgave you.

We said we are saved. That means that we have been forgiven of our sins. Not because we deserve it. But because Jesus chose to forgive us we are saved. Paul is playing that card. What bad thing did they do to you not to forgive? Jesus he died for all your sins to forgive. Paul is not telling us to die. Actually God through Paul he is telling to us forgive man for I forgave you bro. I still regret to this day for ignoring my friend.

I did not read this scripture, but because I wanted to come clean before I become a 목사님. Because I wanted to start my new chapter of my life more like Jesus, I made that phone call. I wasn’t brave enough to visit him, but I made that call.

I called him. He picked up the phone with that weird accent. I said, I came to Korea for my ordination and I saw your dad. Then I went on to tell him why I ignored him and apologized for the way I treated him. And like that, just as I expected he acted all cool saying it is nothing, saying some other wise saying about friendship. I was angry again but I kept it in and I was able to amend my terrible relationship with him.

Bear with each other. Forgive one another. Why? For we have been forgiven. Think about the grace first. What grace are you living for you have been forgiven by God. We have eternal life. We are part of God’s kingdom. With live in righteousness. God is telling us, forgive others like me. Let’s think about it, it is really nothing. But having a good relationship by forgiving not only are we doing what God tell us to do, but it brings God’s goodness into this world.

I know it is difficult. For some people no matter how much time has passed, you still feel angry about them. You still have that grudge, but guys God is telling us today, Forgive. Before I tell you guys once again, I want to read the lyrics of the last song that we sang.

I’m forgiven because you were forsaken, I’m accepted you were condemned, I’m alive and well your spirit within me because you died and rose again.

Amazing love how can it be, that you my ling would die for me, amazing love I know its true its my joy to honor you in all I do I honor you.

Jesus went through the pain and suffering to forgive us. Jesus he died on the cross to forgive us. And as his followers we too are called to forgive. This is the reason why we forgive. And through this we too could honor him.

I want to ask you all this question. Who wants to honor God? Then forgive your brothers and sisters in Christ. When you want to honor God he is going to give you the strength to forgive.

At this time let us pray. Lord God, I want to honor you. Lord I want to follow you. Lord give me the heart to forgive. Let us pray.

[Prayer]

[Response]

Amazing Love

[Benediction]

[Announcement]

Surf

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