A sermon: Ask! Ask! Ask!Thanks be to God. Thank God that you are here today. You have come to church! I am so happy and glad that I am here. I congratulate all of you for being here.
It is wonderful privilege to speak to this beautiful church that God created. What is Church? Church is a big family who has one heavenly father. This family blesses each other as well as its community. All the families on earth will be blessed through you. I believe that you are great. God has a wonderful plan for you. so, say after me, “Jesus loves me. Everybody loves me.” Now turn to your neighbors and say, “Jesus loves you! Everybody loves you.” I bless you wonderful people. Thank you.
Today, we will think about what faith is.
Two thousand years ago, Jesus became a friend to the poor, the unprivileged, the weak and the lost. Jesus then asked them what they ever truly wanted. Then, Jesus told them a secret. That is:
Ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives. Everyone who seeks finds. To everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
Jesus says this, because, as for Jesus, God is the generous father who is the source of all health and happiness. God is ever expanding goodness! Jesus believes that God is compassion. God is forgiveness. God is love! All God can do is love. God is so generous! God is generosity.
In Mark 11: 24, Jesus said it in a different way, “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours.”
As you see in this verse, faith and hope and your future are all intertwined. You become what you believe. You become what you pray about.
With these words, Jesus not only created the attitude of hope among people, but also introduced the power of God.
Then, people start thinking. Their minds are filled with strong faith and clear purpose. They start thinking about the reason why they can be so successful in life, in every area.
Then, people started asking Jesus to heal their sickness. Jesus healed every single one of them who asked. Everyone was healed. Their faith strengthened their physical body. In Jesus people found new hope. The more they listened to Jesus, the more they found themselves energized. Faith strengthened their physical body, more.
Everyone experiences changes. They have a new future. They become what they think about.
They felt like they can do everything in the name of Jesus. They were full of good meditation and thoughts.
The more they listen, the more they become like Jesus. They start using their mind wisely and effectively. They use it in order to achieve their goal and purpose. The presence of Jesus cast out their worry and anxiety. Jesus freed them to face and embrace wonderful challenge and adventure in life.
So, Jesus was unstoppable.
The students of Jesus start saying things like: “I can do all things through Jesus who strengthens me!” “If God is for us who or what can be against us!” Believing these words, they strengthen their faith sharing the love of Jesus to the end of the world.
What kind of the life, did Jesus live?
Jesus never worried about tomorrow what to eat and where to stay. When ten lepers came to Jesus asking him to heal, Jesus wasn’t worrisome. Jesus healed them.
Jesus has this good faith and a powerful mental attitude. Jesus understands God as well as the divine power that can heal the lepers.
The mind of Christ Jesus is the most beautiful thing. There is hope, love and faith. There is no worry, no doubt, no anxiety, no hatred, no negativism, and no defeatism. When Jesus wants somebody to be his student, he simply asks in faith, “Follow me!!!” then they follow him! He expects good outcome. With this most good and healthy mind, Jesus achieves every goal in life.
What is faith?
Faith is a good mediation. Faith is a mental determination. Reflecting the life of Jesus, one of the students of Jesus defines what faith is: “Faith is being sure of what we hope for.” (Hebrews 11: 1) Faith is being sure of good outcome of your future. Faith is a state of good mind set that allows you to obtain eternal happiness and health. Expect great things in your life. And then keep your good faith. Faith says: “you can do all things!” because Jesus loves the world. And Jesus loves you. Jesus understands you and values your good thought, purpose, goal and desire.
What is faith, again?
Faith loves challenges and adventures! Faith is like jumping off the cliff and building your wings on the way down. Faith encourages you. Faith says, “When everyone says you are out of your mind, you just might be on to something.”
Martin Luther King Jr., put it this way: “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step.” Dr King, Gandhi, Moses and many others changed everything by taking their first step. Taking the first step can transform your life!
Let’s look at the life of Jesus.
Think about what Jesus had done. Jesus was a humble carpenter in Galilee, a northern part of Israel. Galilee was an insignificant town. Jesus didn’t have any prestige theological education. Jesus didn’t know any important people who could help him to be a rabbi or a teacher or even a Messiah, before starting his ministry.
The only person who strongly believed in him was John the Baptist who lived in the wilderness. But Jesus started his ministry, anyway, by faith. Moreover, one of his ministries was to die and then rise again by the power of God! Jesus predicted and told his students over, and over, and over again.
Peter, who was his good students, was so tired of hearing this, one day. So, peter said to Jesus like, “Stop …. Saying that! It is too scary and risky. We must have a better plan. Nobody has done this. You don’t have to do that! There must be another way.”
There is no another way. Jesus has to die so that he can take away the sins of the world.
For Peter, it may look like there is no guarantee, absolutely no, in a human point of view… But Jesus kept his faith. Jesus acted as if it was impossible to fail. It was very scary for Jesus, too. He understood that he would experience a terrible humiliation and be crucified. But, Jesus left a place of safe and good, and went ahead to Jerusalem where he should be captured. Jesus was fearful. So, Jesus prayed hard. Jesus took a great “risk” understanding the love of his Father toward the whole wide world.
After Jesus rose from the death, however, Jesus came to his students and said, “Peace be with you! It works! Faith works! Look at my hands! Look at my feet!”
Jesus seems to have a greater peace and power, because Jesus took away the sings of the world. Jesus shows us this strong faith.
Some say, “Success is failure turn inside out.” as for Jesus, the resurrection turns the crucifixion inside out. The crucifixion itself may look like a failure. But it is the greatest victory. Because of the cross, now we have access to God freely. We can talk with God freely.
When you experience what looks like failure, through your faith you can turn it inside out. Your greater success will come through strengthening your faith.
Jesus loves you! Jesus wants you fully alive. So, I want to ask you: What are you excited about? What motivates you? What makes you smile? What frees you? What energizes you?
Jesus loves you! Jesus has a wonderful plan for you. Jesus has already planted good desires within you. So, I want to ask you. What do you truly want? What is your hope? What is your childhood dream? What are the things that you give up because people said it is impossible for you to do or be? Do you still have a burning desire> what do you want to achieve in the name of Jesus?
And what should God do for this church and this community? What is it you want?
What you want wants you. Great opportunities are waiting for you. Look for possibilities. Faith enhances creative process of your brain. So, knock some doors: doors will be opened. Faith has this spiritual power, all in the name of Jesus.
Keep your faith, no matter what. The whole world wants you to enjoy life. Praise God all the way, because out of no way, a way will be made. Everything is possible in Jesus. Your thought will manifest in your life.
In this faith, we can love, forgive, and hope again. Jesus is our example. We are imitators of Jesus. That means, if someone asks us, we give, because God is giver. We practices kindness because God is kindness. We love because God is love! It is summarizes every teaching of Jesus. It summarizes the Bible. If you understand this, welcome to the kingdom of God.
Benediction:
May God our Father of peace, abundantly bless you.
May our Lord Jesus Christ, abundantly bless you and keep you.
May the Holy Spirit, who loves you, give you eternal encouragement and good hope and strong faith so that you would praise knowing you can do all things in the name of Jesus! Amen
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