Are You Living In The Word?

We say that we are living in the Word. Let us examine to see if we are truly living according to the Word. To say that we are living in the Word means that we are living in obedience to God. The word of God and his commands are one. To obey his commands is to live in the Word. The Word is revealed to us through the Holy Spirit. Taking these revelations and applying it to our lives is to live according to the Word. Many of us have knowledge of the Word. It has been widespread. You can turn on the radio and hear messages given on the Word. Though we hear many messages on the Word, does the Word really penetrate us, like a sharp sword, that moves us to make a decision to live according to it? Or is it just knowledge that I use to go and try to correct and teach others? Food is necessary to eat and receive the nutrients that I may have the strength to live my life. Likewise the Word is food for the spirit that provides nourishment and gives me strength so that I may live according to it. Am I living according to the Word, taking it out into the world sharing it with others, and bringing those nonbelievers into the circle of believers? Or do I just have knowledge of the Word and when I live in the world act no differently from those who do not know the Word? Am I living my life deceiving others? What path are you living? Would anyone be able to look at you and know that you are a believer? Would they say that you are trustworthy? Would they be able to follow you? Would they be willing to give up all they have trust you? Are you living this kind of life? Or do we put on an act as Christians as we persecute and judge others? Rather than point fingers at other Christians we should look at ourselves and realize that others are judging us in the same manner. What happens when we fail to look at ourselves, when we think that we are perfect, when we believe that we are great followers of Jesus? What happens when we put hope in our family history of believers? Are we then really living according to the Word? There is great importance in coming from generations of believers. Passing on faith from one generation to the next is very valuable. But of what value is it to come from a family of great believers if the following generation does not live according to the Word? If my parents were martyrs and had great faith but I do not live according to the Word, then I will not receive eternal salvation. The first to believe in their family goes through many trials and sufferings. It is because the child who once belonged to the devil has now been adopted into God's family, so the devil will not rest and leave them alone. There is great resistance in their life of faith. The first one to believe in their family suffers greatly. For those first believers to pass on their faith to their next generation is an incredible blessing. It is a special blessing. Some have not been able to reap the rewards of this blessing, or apply it in their lives. For some it has become a stumbling block in their walk with Christ. Because they come from a long family history of believers, they become proud and forsake God. They come and go to church. They take positions and serve in churches. But those positions are useless. God is not looking for someone in high positions but He loves the one who is consumed with His Word and living according to it. Why is this? It is because God is looking at our hearts. He is looking at you clearly. We can say that we love Jesus and that Jesus is everything to us. But if Jesus is everything to you then you could not be living that way. You could not behave that way. The moment something bothers me my heart changes. But I can cover that up. People can look at me and say "oh she's a pastor, she has great faith." But I know the truth and God knows the truth. I can fool myself. I can mistakenly believe that I have great faith. There are many who are mistaken and believe that they are living the life of faith. When I meet people they are living in deception. And when we talk and go deep into their hearts the truth comes out. There are those who did not realize that they were living in deception. It is because they have been covering themselves up and making themselves look a certain way. They have trained themselves to be a certain way thinking that they are following Jesus. We have heard the recordings of people who have been to hell. They question why they are there. They say they followed Jesus, they went to church, they gave offerings and they witnessed, and question why they are in hell. You have heard these tapes. Why are they there? It is because they believe that by doing those things they would enter into heaven. There is no salvation through works. You are to believe in Jesus and live a life of faith, but you cannot enter into heaven thinking Once in a while I meet someone who is quiet and keeps to themselves. They seem to do nothing. They make no boasts or claims. It seems as though they do not serve at church. Some of them are sick and weak. Some do not have finances to give. But their heart is toward God and God loves them and takes pleasure in them. How about those who are here? I think that many of you are under the false assumption that you have great faith. You think that you are doing enough. It would be great if it were true. But we must look at what God desires. God must see that you truly desire to be with Him. He is not looking for you to do something for Him. His greatest desire is to have a relationship with you. God desires that our relationship is made right with Him first. He desires that we believe in Jesus and the blood that cleanses us and to follow Him. When the Spirit guides us we must have the heart of obedience and say yes. God desires our faith in Him. He does not take pleasure in us coming to church and giving our offering. These things are irrelevant. Then you ask how will a church stay open? When you truly meet Jesus and are transformed you will naturally come to church and give your service to God. You do not do these things because someone else is watching or because of your pride. When you are truly grateful that God is your father in Jesus is your groom and that you are led by the Spirit then you will live your life and serve God and others. This is the Christian that we are to be. This is the Word that we are to live. We are not to think that we have done enough or that what we have done is good enough. We should not look to others and think ourselves better than them. God does not take pleasure because you come to church more than someone else or you give more offering or because you serve more. He cares to know if you are truly one with Him. Our relationship must be right with Him so that we can live according to His will and in His Word. Do not put your faith in God according to what you think you know or what you have learned or with your stubbornness. There are many pastors who know the Word very well. I think to myself that I do not speak well. There is nothing I am exceptional at and there is not much that I know about. The only thing I do is to share with you my life as I live according to the Word. I may not have the education to be here but I am here for a reason and that is to walk with you together in God. There is much exposure to the Word. But with all that exposure what are you taking from it and putting in your life. Is this Word deeply rooting itself in my heart? The deeper the roots the bigger the tree. The deeper the roots the stronger it is against wind and rain. But if the roots are weak, then even if a small wind blows or if a small storm happens, it becomes uprooted and dies. Is this the tree that you are going to be? Or are you going to have deep roots, deeply rooted in the Word of God, so that no matter what happens in your life, no matter how great the storm you will stand firm? But to be this tree your roots must be deep in God's word. There are many trials, pains, and suffering in our lives. Believers in God or not free from burden and pain. Are your roots deeply planted? There was a recent hurricane on the East Coast and many states were affected. There are places that have been undamaged and places that have been damaged. If all this had happened to do how would you react? We look at the events from afar. But if these things have happened to your house could you give thanks to God? Would you praise God for saving your life and allowing you to continue to fulfill your purpose? Would you give thanks even though your house was ruined but you were still breathing? If you lost a family member could you still give thanks to God? If everything was taken from you could you still give thanks to God? What does it mean to live in faith? Are you grateful because you have attained everything that you desired? What if everything was taken from you? What if you could no longer do the work that you were purposed to do? What if the path before you is still not open? Would you continue to put your faith in God and follow Him? In places where work you are faced with many trials and hardships. Are you grateful for what you have and filled with joy and gratitude? Are you grateful for the life that you have today? Are you giving thanks daily? What is taking root in your heart? Are the things in your heart easily uprooted when faced with a small storm? Or are there roots deep in your heart? In the midst of a great storm there are sea life that live in those that die. Where do you stand? Are all those that die dead because they are bad? Do only nonbelievers die? During the recent hurricane in the East Coast did only nonbelievers suffer? It is not so. There are both believers and nonbelievers alike. As a believer during these trials will you blame God? Or will you continue and joy and gratitude? Who decides? We decide for ourselves. With what? With your will. A long time ago when I was young I believed that those who believed in Jesus never suffered. We always had difficulties in our house. Growing up in the house where our father was a pastor there was always difficulties. I did not think of these things as difficulties but other things as difficulties. I believed that Jesus protected all his followers. But as my faith grew and as I grew older and continued in my walk I realized it was not so. God is with us in our difficulties. We are trained through them and disciplined in them. Growing up I never understood the book of Job. I thought that what was written in it and my life had nothing to do with each other. I questioned why I suffered when I had faith in God and tried to follow Him. But looking back I realize that this is not the way. God is looking for his true children His true servants. God was asking me if I would still follow him through all the trials, pain and suffering. It was His way of asking me. When I used to read Job I thought that everything happened suddenly. It is a short book. But we have come to see that it has taken 20 years. What I thought had taken place in the week was not so. But this is what we desire. In our difficulties and trials the moment we pray to God we desire that H rescues us quickly from our circumstance and restore everything to us immediately. It is not so. You are all aware of my physical situation. I was unable to put my feet on the floor nor stand. God is restoring me but it is taking time. This past week I walked around and today has been very difficult for me. I shared with my children that God has been restoring me but today has been very difficult and I think it is a problem. My children responded and told me that even healthy individuals after exercise hurt and must recover. They told me because I had walked this week that the pain I'm suffering is natural and that there was no problem. We desire things to happen overnight. The Bible tells us of people who were born crippled but immediately healed. There are testimonies of people who have been crippled for 30 or 40 years and healed immediately and able to stand and walk. But God is teaching me to walk. God uses different methods with different people. I too thought that I would immediately stand, walk, and dance. I am being restored little by little. I was unable to wash my own hair but I am now able to wash my own hair and I am able to stand and walk. I am practicing to walk. How are you living your life? Are you seeking to live daily in obedience or are you looking only to be satisfied and when you are not you renounce Jesus and desire to come back to Him on your own terms? God does not desire this kind of faith. No matter how difficult your circumstance, no matter how painful your sickness and disease, no matter the persecution you suffer for Jesus, no matter the ridicule you suffer for your faith, no matter the financial loss for your faith in Jesus, even if you are shunned by your friends for your faith in Jesus, will you truly not forsake Jesus? This is what our Lord is asking you and me. Our problem is we change our hearts from moment to moment. It is because we do not truly hold Jesus in our hearts. We love to say that God loves us. Truly, God does love us. When I lay hands and pray for people God always tells them that He loves them. God loves us all. We are mistaken to believe that God loves us even though we knowingly live in sin. How can God love us? Even people do not love those who are insincere. I am the one who distances myself away from God. If I say that God loves me but I do not live according to His love, then one day I will find myself far away from Him. And then if I blame Him for not holding onto me it will all be my doing. Do you truly feel that God loves you? Then you must love God. To love God does not mean to live the way you want and that you desire. To love God is to live according to his will his comments and in his way. You cannot live however you want and say that you are loving God. There is no one on this earth who God does not love. God does not desire to send any one to hell. Do not be mistaken. You may look at someone and think that God has destined them for hell. It is not so. He does not desire to send anyone to hell. But there is no choice but to end up in hell if you choose by your own will to not believe in Him, to obey Him and live according to His Word. How was not created for people. It was created for the devil. But because the devil is angry he is trying to take the souls of the people whom God loves with him. God desires that we come to Him but if I have fallen into the trap of believing that I am following him when I am not then I will end up in hell. Do not be mistaken and think that God will forcibly take you into heaven. God does not have the power to do so. God has given us His Word and He has commanded us to serve Him with all our hearts. He would not have needed to give us this command if He were to forcibly take us into heaven. How great it would be if though we did not believe Him if He still took us into heaven. But it is not so. God desires that we choose to love Him out of our free will. It is written that H stands at the door and knocks but we must open that door in order to let Him in to be with us. God does not force the door open to come in to be with us. Is your door open? Do you desire to receive the Lord and to follow Him? Think about this seriously. You say you love him. If you love Him you cannot disobey Him. If you love Him you must obey His commands. If you love Him you will choose to surrender yourself completely to Him. This is how you live according to the Word. This is a life where you walk with our Lord. This is to live according to His will and to be guided by the Holy Spirit. To hold on to our Lord. To bear the burden of the cross. To share in the suffering. And to go together with Jesus. Jesus tells us that we must pick up the cross and follow Him. It is not written that we surrender everything to Jesus and then He will do everything for us and we are to follow easily behind them. We are told to go together with Him. But this is difficult for us to do. Without our Lord it is difficult. But because our Lord is with us and He carries the burden with us, our burden is easy and light. At times we try to carry the burden on our own. We tell Jesus to step aside and that we will go forth and use our own strength and carry the burden. This is also not the way. We must walk together with our Lord. We are to bear the burden together. Let us truly receive the Lord in our hearts. Let us carry our burdens together. And let us be victorious in living according to the Word. Sermon by Pastor Joy Lee Translation by Miguel Park