작성일 : 24-02-09 02:26
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2024년2월4일 주일말씀 English version "Samuel Served Before God" I Samuel 2:18-21
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Sermon English Text AKFPC / February 4, 2024 Rev. Yongjin Park
“Samuel Served Before God” (I Samuel 2:18-21)
May the grace and love of God is upon you who is listening God’s voice today in this worship.
Major grand shopping mall companies began to expand again more. After pandemic and online shopping trend offline malls have been deducing their mall. But recently they are trying to go both way of online and offline. Because they recognized that people need outdoor activities with indoor one as necessary element of life.
This is called to be Omni Channel which means both ways. It is crucial for all business to focus on basic of life. When we keep the basic it might be great possibility to open.
Today Word let us know how much important to focus on God. We can see a great example of faith from today Bible passage.
Let us read together I Samuel 2:18-21,
"But Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy wearing a linen ephod. Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice. Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, “May the Lord give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed for and gave to the Lord.” Then they would go home. And the Lord was gracious to Hannah; she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord."
Hannah did not have children so that she was looked down upon. She went up to house of God to pray for. She vowed to send child to house of God if God answers her.
God answered her and she gave birth a son, Samuel. This is blessing from God. Many people receive answers as this. But Hannah goes forward more. She sends the lovely son to house of God as she vowed with God and the son grew up there not his mother's house.
Samuel was wearing linen ephod which means to live in house of God. Mother was sad not to nurture her child in her arm but she thought the promise with God first and to keep it with faith. Whenever she went up the house of God to offer annual sacrifice with husband, she brought a little robe to take it to her son as expression of her deep love to her child. When the priest Eli saw this mother's heart, he blessed her to have more children. And Hannah later gave birth of 5 more children, 3 sons and 2 daughters by grace of God. Meanwhile, Samuel grew up to be great leader of all people in their country.
Verse 21 says,
"And the Lord was gracious to Hannah; she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord."
Brothers and sisters!
We, believers of Jesus Christ see always God. We seek always grace of God. We have to live as this way.
Hannah always has been before God when she pray for with feel sorry, brought her child back to God, and express her love to her son with little robe every year.
Hannah has been doing what God please always. She did not ask to excuse God for her own reasons. She focused on relationship with God. She believed God is always Answer of life.
People can be changed after resolving urgent matter. The vow is not easy to keep but for faithful people like Hannah it is easy to keep vow due to her steadfast faith to God.
For those who see their own it is not easy to keep what they promised with God. The great thing in Hannah is to see only God not her own and others. That is the reason that she was blessed always before God.
She had great love to her child while she has been keeping her faith. She made little robe for son with love and take it to her son every time she met son. She has been keeping both loves to God and love to son. She did not lose God and family as well with her steadfast faith.
In Mark's Gospel 7, a gentile woman came to Jesus Christ, asking to heal her daughter with evil spirit. Jesus Christ first denied her ask. The mother desperately asked again to heal her daughter.
Mark's Gospel 7:27-28 says,
"First let the children eat all they want," he told her, "for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs."
Lord answered finally her to heal her daughter after seeing great faith in her heart to trust Lord with steadfast trust. The strong faith in her overcame great obstacles before her and got grace from God.
Folks,
What we pray for before God is already privilege as saints and blessing itself. Not asking to God is not blessing and judgement.
The crucial thing in any business is trust with partners as clients and coworkers. Trust with God is more than that due to Lord is the Lord of our life. We need to have steadfast relationship in spiritually with God. That is our way to live for fruitful life.
Paul had lifelong collogues as Timothy, Luke, and Aquila & Priscilla while Peter had apostles and congregations lifelong to work together for gospel.
Only those who focus on, seek, lean on God can be bear fruitful life before God.
A faithful lady who served lifelong God in church confessed, saying "I went to church with mom when I was baby and grew up with church. After marriage I nurtured my children with faith in church. After leaving all children I have been living still in church which is house of God. After my husband passed away I am still with God in church. She confessed that as this “I am happy in God who is Lord of all my life.”
Let us trust God and seek always grace from our Lord. Lord is always faithful to us.
God be with all of you, Amen.
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