Transcription
We are welcoming May, the month of the family. May is known as the month when spring is in full bloom with the mountains and fields covered in lush greenery and is truly described as the most energetic and vigorous month of the year. And that is why May in English is called May.
May is a month of hope like youth. The way youth springs upward and this is precisely the month of the family and to be born on this earth and to have a home makes this family the happiest of all. And this is not just my opinion, but the word of God in the Bible. The Apostle Paul said that a person who does not care of his or her own family is like the beast that perishes and there's much sin in the world. God has commanded that such a person be cursed to the point where he or she cannot protest no matter what label of sin is attached to them. And then in the books of Timothy and Galatians, the Apostle Paul does not even treat those who neglect their families as human beings.
May is a month of hope for the family and families which ought to be overflowing with hope, happiness and peace are now being destroyed and broken in many cases. is when we look around. While one can stay in an inn to rest from exhaustion or even commit sin simply by paying money, those without a home are truly pitiful. It's so sad. Families are being shaken deeply. The hierarchical order within the family is being destroyed.
Every family, every parent has their share of anxieties and worries. But they should be centered on the mother and father, the parents to be happy. And they should gather those worries and cast them out of the house and lock the doors tight with faith in their hearts so that evil cannot enter. Instead, children treat their parents with contempt and fa parents fail to realize that their children are a mission entrusted to them by God. And they think this is my kid, so I can do what I want. And they mistreat them, hit them, them, kick them out, and neglect their education. Have you ever seen a broken home from divorce where the children turn out to have a proper family life. There are none.
If a home is not properly established, there's no place for young children who cannot yet distinguish between good and evil to stand. So when a home fails to stand firm, children lack discernment. And we see that even the parents are there and they're not cared for. The hearts of the children in that family become hollow. It is like an empty house with a child of guardian. It's like an empty house in their heart. And then conflicts between couples increase. And as people grow older, they face more trials. And they hear these things like, "Why won't this old person just die? How can you speak to your grandfather like that?" And they say, "He's not my grandfather." When there's conflict between a husband and wife, the elderly are mistreated and the children end up living however they please. And living in times like these, May is a month to look back on our families. And May is a month to reflect on and reclaim the home. Take a look back at your home as a parent. That is, as a father or mother, have I fulfilled my responsibilities toward my family? Even though they are children I gave birth to, am I entirely without shame before them? These are not my words. This is the word of God spoken by God through the great leader Moses in the book of Deuteronomy. So we must think of the home, think of the parents and think of the children. You must look back and reclaim all those forgotten days. Make the most of your time. Reclaim it.
The word reverence is composed of the characters for respect and fear. It means to respect and fear God. Secondly, you must respect your parents and hold a sense of awe and fear before their words. And if you fear the Lord first, God ensures that you do not become a fool. Rather, it is your blessing. Secondly, you will live well. But what good is living well if you die right away. Therefore there is longevity long life. Long life and so everything goes well for the family. It becomes a home filled with fragrance and perfume and not a home that smells foul. And if you fear God the years of your life are prolonged. you will live long. This is found in Ecclesiastes 8:12-13. And also those who fear God and honor their parents receive the blessing of long life. And he says this in Deuteronomy 4. Also Moses gave these three charges. Tell the whole nation of Israel what I'm saying to you. Teach them. Make them understand. Tell the word. Make them understand and teach it. So means that you who have held fast to the Lord your God and not and have not left him are all surviving healthfully to this day without falling ill just as you see with your own eyes. And those who live by faith, clinging to the word of God, they will find their homes are not destroyed. They not fall sick. They survive until this day. And this is what Deuteronomy 4:4 is saying. This is a truly precious word. A precious word.
If you do not obey your parents' words, God has said that there's absolutely no peace for the wicked or in the way of the wicked. says there's no peace. And it gives a very terrifying warning. If you were meant to live to 80, you only live to 40. Half of it. It's a very scary message. Proverbs 10:27 says, "The fear of the Lord prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be shortened." And then in Psalm 5:23 says, "But you, oh God, will bring them down to the pit of destruction. Men of bloodshed and deceit will live out will not live out half their days, but I will trust in you." The end of the wicked is found in Psalm 55:15. Says, "Let death come deceitfully upon them. Let them go down alive to sh for evil is in their dwelling in their midst. Their hearts are always evil. They bring ruin to others, slander them, and torment them with malicious conspiracies." Thus, they're committing such terrible sins that God forcibly relocates them while they are still alive.
And we look at for the saints in Psalm 32:6-8 says, "Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you in a time when you may be found. Surely a flood of great waters will not reach him. You are my hiding place. You preserve me from trouble. You surround me with songs of deliverance." Say, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go." And so God becomes a refuge for those who are good and upright. And he promises to protect us as if we were in an air raid shelter, hiding place and fortress when we remain unshaken even if bombs or shells were to fall. And the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. And there's a lot of knowledge in this world. But try loving God and welcoming him fervently into your heart. And the fear of the Lord is a banning of knowledge. That is in Proverbs chapter 1:7. Also in Psalm 111:10, Proverbs 9:10 and Job 28:28. And the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. And so those who fear the Lord receive knowledge, the beginning of wisdom.
If you fear God, you'll be recorded in the book of life. In Revelation 20:15, while those who recorded in the book of life enter in, it says, "And if anyone's name was not written was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." It is explicitly recorded. The fire of brimstone never goes out throughout all eternity. When I commit a crime and stand trial, if the judge sentences me to 10 years, I must serve those 10 years. I have to serve those 10 years. However, it says those recorded in the book of life do not face such things. Anyone not recorded in the book of life enters the lake of fire. This is exactly what is written in Revelation 20:15. It's explicitly recorded.
And there are people who talk back to their parents. They harbor dissatisfaction. And if they don't get what they want from their parents, they don't even bother to answer. Hey, where are you? I'm not deaf. Just say it. say, "I'm not deaf." Just say it. Just say it. And that's as sinful as hitting your parents. Do you understand? And the Bible, children who talk back to their parents treat them with contempt and are disobedient, they don't even need a trial. Only a witness, a witness is needed. Someone to say, "I saw it." And they to be brought to the center of the village and stoned to death. In Christianity, those who refuse to honor their parents face certain death and no trials required. Whether they are young or old, the town's people come out and strike them with stones until they're dead. Whether it's their ribs, their heads bleeding. It's terrifying, isn't it? And that's recorded in Deuteronomy chapter 27:16. It's terrifying. It's scary.
It says, "Those who steal money from the parents and do not even realize it is a sin are children of curse." Parents might not know the money was stolen and spent. But regardless of whether any person is watching, isn't God watching? Such a person is a child of curse. It's in Malachi 3:16. I pray in the name of the Lord that you will become the holy people of God whose names are recorded in God's book of remembrance for the godly and those who fear him there is a godly confidence a refuge and a fountain of life in Proverbs chapter 14:26 so no matter where you go you will not be thirsty and this World is a place where that makes you thirst. Striving for power, honor, money, success. People are never satisfied. They're never satisfied. If they have 50 million one, they want 100 million one. If they have 100 million one, they want 200 million, 300 million, or even 1 billion one. And yet there's no satisfaction. The Bible says that even if you possess everything in the universe, if you do not possess God, you will always be panting, never satisfied, and living a life of constant complaining.
If you believe in Jesus, you must revere your parents not as God, but like God. Have you been doing that? If you believe in Jesus. So our parents gave birth to us as tiny infants, cut the umbilical cord, put us in our first clothes, raised us by feeding us, rocking us in their arms even when they're exhausted and sleepd deprived. And this is how they raised us. And while we live in a developed nation now and then back in the Japanese colonial era, was there even proper white rice, it was a foxtail, millet, corn, or sorghum? And so those in the remote mountain valleys lived until marriage without even eating a small measure of rice. And even if the parents went hungry and they would heat the room with woodf fire and give their child warm soup, even without side dishes, saying, "I've already eaten." What do you mean they ate? They starve to raise you like that. You know this now that you've married and had your own children. And then doesn't it take so much care? So much effort goes into it yet we failed to treat our parents properly. Making them watch the house like a German shepherd making them making them do all the difficult tasks. And when a married daughter visits the mother says the soy soybean paste is delicious. The stew take some with you. take the red pepper paste too. And that is how they raised us.
Have you honored or loved your parents so much that there wasn't even a needle's tip of space for anything else? You only care about your own pain. Did you love them as yourself? The Bible tells us to honor our parents with all our strength, even at the cost of our lives. What do you mean the cost of your life? You're too busy deceiving your parents and stealing from them. God keeps a close eye on those who fear him. He doesn't just glance at those who fear God and honor their parents. He watches them intently. Look at how that person is acting. He says, "Therefore, those who honor their parents and honor God will never go hungry or be ruined. Even in times of famine, they won't have to go from door to door like beggars asking for food." And this is recorded in Psalm 33.
So when we look at Psalm 15:111:5 the words of Moses says those who fear God also revered their parents and God says I will remember forever how you loved cared for and supported your mother even providing clothes for her while you yourself went without in ordinary times they treat their parents like dog food and then after they pass away they go and will oh mother mother how disgusting. Think about it when they are hospitalized. Can they even drink the juice or western snacks you bring and bring those things while they're healthy? So, who eats those gifts that are brought to the hospital anyway? The visitors eat them all and do it right. These children haven't even served a pound of meat, a single meal, or warm bowl of soup properly.
In a home established by God, there's honor for parents. If the family is the parents kingdom and the children's kingdom at the same time, if a father's president, his children live in the presidential residence, don't they? The father is the kingdom of the family. The mother is the world. And the children are paradise. And this is not what I'm saying. This is what the British historian tobby said. Did you regard your father as a king? The family is a place with many complaints. Yet one is treated well accordingly. Try complaining in other societies and they would say that brat. But the family is a place where there are many complaints. Yet one is still treated well. You commit a sin, the world exposes everything. But the family covers it all up. They tell you to let to not let my son do that. But they but to keep your own son in check. And who will defend their child when they can't stand it anymore? The father mother will defend them, won't they? It's a nation of lawyers. The family is a center of our affection. It is where the best wishes of our hearts are attached. The home is where our stomach gets its daily meal and where our heart stays. a thousand times. Indeed, the home is where our stomach gets his daily meal and our heart stays a thousand times because it exists on earth. The home hides all human faults and failures within sweet love. So how precious is the home to add to this today? The home is a cradle of blessing where one truly prospers and lives a long life while living in this human world. And that very place is where the holy blessings given by God to humanity are realized. And therefore through the prophet Jeremiah, God declared in Jeremiah, God declared in Jeremiah 31:1, Jeremiah, yes, I am the God of all families. That is, it is recorded accurately. And God called the prophet Jeremiah and said, "Jeremiah, yes, I am the God of the family. Aren't you a prophet? Look back at the families. Is there any place truly like a home?"
Thus, through the descendants of Rekob, the prophet Jeremiah tearfully taught Israel a lesson. He said the people of Israel were all heading toward the path of destruction to their deaths. On the outside, they all pretend to believe, but when you look at their core value and their lives, they're a total mess, there's no faith. However, among tens of millions of people, God saw the descendants of Recob and they were keeping the traditions of their ancestors. Exactly. If you look at Jeremiah chapter 35, only the descendants of Recob truly have a family. In the rest of the visible superficial world, everyone has family. When the eyes of God, they aren't even families. There aren't they aren't families at all. So, everyone, why did northern Israel fall? The reason northern Israel fell was that they did not honor their parents. And because of that sin, they were doomed. The nation was doomed. They fell in 7:22 BC. If the family cannot stand, there is no hope. The family is truly the cradle of blessing where a person prospers and lives a long life while living in this world. And it is the place where the holy blessings God commanded to humanity are realized and parental upbringing and education for their children takes precedence over studying at school. It is the priority. That is the priority. family education. And that is why the apostle Paul says in Ephesians chapter 6:1-2, "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right." Says, "Honor your father and mother. This is the first commandment with a promise. You honor your parents. It is the first commandment with a promise. You will prosper and live a long life." How wonderful is that?
What should you do for your sons and daughters? You must educate them in the word of God. It is the blessing of prospering and living a long life. The promise is that you may enjoy long life and that it may go well with you on the earth. That's in Ephesians chapter 6:3, also Exodus 20:12. If you honor your parents, you will prosper in all things. You might think, I should go to a certain region, meet a certain friend, explain my situation, and start a business. Or I should ask a person of high status for a favor, and things will go exactly as you intended. But if you do not honor your parents, it won't even work. Even if you meet someone to get things done, God must grant that person grace, he must move and inspire their heart so that when you speak, they say, "Yes, I will listen to you. Don't worry." That is how you prosper. So you receive the blessing of your coming and going just as it says. Whether you're coming in or going out, it's a blessing of going in and going out. And says that in Deuteronomy chapter 28:6 and also in Psalm 121:8 says, "The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever and you will do well and all things prosper." So please believe that in the Bible no matter how much you say you cannot survive or that you are failing if God is with you the blessing of prosperity will come upon you. prosperity.
If we look at the old, if we look at the Hebrew says to have no hindrance, to have no blockage, everything goes well. And just as water that flows gently, all things flow smoothly. And as mentioned earlier, this leads to joy, pleasure, satisfaction, a sense of happiness and refreshment. And what is being refreshing, cheerful? It means to be joyful and pleasant. That's in Proverbs 23:16 and also in Acts 3:1:19. It's like you just feel refreshed, not frustrated. And when you the mood is clear, it's like when you go up to a high mountain, the air is so pure and crisp. Deuteronomy chapter 22:7 says, "You shall certainly let the mother go, but the young you may take for yourself in order that they may may be well with you and you may prolong your days." It's a truly precious word. Says to enjoy blessings and long life.
when your parents when you obey your parents, say yes. Even though the mother and daughter are already conversing and they're conversing, God is watching. He is watching. And when we look in the Bible, there's a rebellious and wicked Abselum tried to kill his father. his father. He took his father's concubine and built a hut-like structure high up in the palace and mobilize all the people and strip naked to have relations with someone like his mom. And King David's third son, Abselum, did exactly that. He did it to kill his father and become king himself. And look at the scene of his father fleeing barefoot from the palace through a field of thorns and rocks. And then Abselum later on that bastard died a miserable death at the end. He didn't do it secretly. Abselum was an unfil son who called all the people together and had relations with his mother in front of them. That's Abselum. And if you go to Israel, you will see mountains of stones that form a mountain. And every time I see Abselon's tomb, I throw stones at that bastard. How terrifying was he? So if you read 2 Samuel 18:9, Abselon meets his end. When David's servant stabs him in the heart with a spear, doesn't he? They say, "You unfil son, you bastard." Did you have relations with your mother? Did you try to kill your father to become king? And that's how he died. So if children show fial piety to their parents, listen carefully. The word of God says that the nation and its people will receive blessings. And when I read that, I was so shocked. So why did the northern kingdom fall? Northern Israel fall? Because of the sin of not honoring its parents. Because if you honor your parents, the country will do well and the nation and people will prosper and the people can live comfortably and well. You must not fail to honor your parents. And I will conclude.
Then why did God command us to honor our parents? And let me give you an example to explain the reason. When farming for the following year, do you save seeds that are unsightly or poorly formed from this year's harvest? No. You set aside the best seeds for the next year's crop. So similarly, why does God tell us to honor our parents? It is because through families that honor their parents, God intends to create a nation, a people, a prosperous global welfare state and a society free from disease. And this is a word spoken through the Old Testament prophet Malachi. And God is saying that he wants to work through families who serve their parents well. Would God work through a family where the parents are looked down upon, treated lightly, insulted or struck? Do would that would God work through that kind of family? If a child's filial piety is outstanding and they are the kind of person who is trustworthy no matter where they are sent, then they are reliable. Right? And that is why in Malachi chapter 2:15 says, "But not one has done so who has a remnant of the spirit. And what did that one do while he was seekling a godly godly offspring? If a man commits adultery and has children here and there, the household becomes a mess. leads to fighting. However, look at a household where that one wife bears the children, the family dances with joy and the whole neighborhood is happy. But if a word spreads the neighborhood, that guy is a scandal. He should die sooner than later. He already has three women and got another one. He had another kid. Think about if rumor spread like that. Then you can't live there. And God could have created thousands or tens of thousands of people. Why did he create only one pair of man and woman? He said he did so because he desired to obtain godly offspring. If you honor your parents, you obtain godly offspring. Genesis chapter 2 verse 24 also says that one man and woman unite to become a couple. They are one body. It is not you are you and I am I. When a husband honors and loves his wife as it says in Ephesians 5:28, it is the same as loving himself.
Nothing else for all the families of Pyong Church present here today and just as the lyrics by Dr. Yang Jong mentioned earlier said that parents give their utmost devotion to their children. Shouldn't the children also honor the parents with the same devotion? In that place of utmost devotion, there is God's blessing and God's blessing is upon the home where parents are devoted to the children and children are devoted to the parents and godly offspring are born according to the order of creation. So parents are the beings of blessings on behalf of God. That's in Malachi chapter 2 verse 10. Do we not all have one father? Has not God create one God created us? What? And that's what it says. It said do we not have one father? Has not God one God created us? And God is the father of all mankind whom he created. He said you rule place of that mankind. Although parents are not God, God has assigned them in the same exial value, righteousness, purpose and will. So obeying your parents becomes obeying God. And whether you're in your 70s or 80s or in your 20s or 30s, realize this once again. And before this day passes, repent for all times you talked back, stole or deceived your parents with lies. heartily honor and love them and repent and think of your mother and father before putting food in your own mouth. Think of them first before putting food in your mouth and think of your parents be before putting on nice clothes for yourself. Blessing will surely come upon you.
As I mentioned earlier, I cried a lot last night. And after realizing this word late in life, I saw I'd committed many sins against my parents, like lying about needing to buy something for school just to get extra money. Honor your parents. God is telling us that this very thing is the law of success ensuring that things go well for you and that you live a long life. You do not obey your parents. Solomon says this in Proverbs 30:1:17. The eye that mocks a father and scorn obedience to a mother. The ravens of the valley will pick it out and the young eagles will eat it. The ravens will peck out and eat the eyes and the eagles will peck out my eyes or those eyes for the person who hates obeying their parents.
So once upon a time there was a son named Huffne and Phineas among the sons of Eli the priests. But their sons were worthless. They deceive their parents, squander their wealth, and cause pain to the hearts of the people of Israel. So Eli the priest called them and admonished them. And he said, "I heard rumors that your conduct is wicked. Why is that so?" And the Bible says that even if you strike someone, they will not die. Yet why could he not strike them? He called the young bride over with words and only spoke, asking why he had committed such sins. And it said that God was disgusted to the point of nausea. And even after three warnings, they not listen. God called Huffne and Phineas's father and said, "Your sons will die on the same day." And didn't they go out to the enemy camp to fight the Philistine army that entered? And they died on the same day at the same time. And the oldest son's wife, so the eldest daughter-in-law died while giving birth and the as the baby's head was crowning coming out the mother died and as she died she said the glory of God has departed. That mother said, "The glory of God has departed from this house." And that household was ruined overnight. God said that there would be no elderly people in the household that everyone would die young. And it happened exactly as he said. And it was at the end of Eli's tenure as priest. The father-in-law, the priest, Eli, fell off his chair, broke his neck and died and the daughter-in-law died giving birth. So that entire household was a wreck on the same day. At the same time, the father died, two sons died, and the daughter-in-law died. Is 1 Samuel chapter 4 a lie? If you do not honor your parents, there's no way for a household to prosper. Therefore, honor your parents in order to give your families godly children and godly blessings.
As I mentioned earlier, I pray that you call upon Jeremiah and cry out, "I am the God of families. Jeremiah, save the families." This is what he was saying. And that's in Jeremiah chapter 31:1. Do not forget this. And when reading the Bible, the family is a little heaven. Send the worries of the world out. And lock the door because the family is a little heaven. Send the worries out. Lock the door. Then let peace and righteousness come in and drive out all worries and anxieties. And every time you see your mother, you feel respect. And every time your parents see their children, they feel so proud and miss them. It's good. And you always hear the sound of prayer and hymns in the home. And the whole family is harmonious. Even if you don't earn money, your heart is at ease. It's at peace. If you have power on our money and worries, that's just hell. Saints, it is heaven for dad and mom. That dad is king and the wife is a world without worries. The children are paradise. And it's an amazing family of blessings. It's a paradise. When you look at the children, you're happy. It's a paradise. Therefore, the home is a place where mothers, fathers, and children are treated with utmost respect. In the world, you are treated well only for personal gain. However, the home is a place where sons, daughters, sons-in-laws, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren are all treated well, even without any personal gain.
For our families have gone astray to this day, gone astray. We must all join forces, discuss and pray together to become the families that are right, the families that God desires. And I pray in the name of the Lord that as we welcome the month of family, you'll realize and give thanks to God that the seed of righteousness never ceases for generations to come. The son of righteousness never departs from the family and all blessings rest upon the heads of the family members leading to the work of realizing, repenting and finishing the remainder of your life righteously. Let us pray. As we welcome the month of the family of May, please bless our church through the word so that it may become a happy church, a blessed spiritual and holy family in every household filled with God's grace and praise every day where prayer never ceases and desires are fulfilled. Please bless us in this way. Please forgive us for the sin of not having shown filop piety to our parents with all of our heart until this day and through the grace of realization. May we bear the beautiful fruit of faith showing filial piety with all of our heart in the end even though our parents have departed and some are still alive and may be a fruit that pleases God. As we ask for forgiveness from our parents and honor them once again, please bless us so that we may all become a beautiful spiritual paradise on this earth. And tasting the joy and happiness of heaven. In all of our prayers and desires, we offer this prayer of thanksgiving in the holy name of Jesus Christ. Amen.