Power game

날짜: 
2002/10/07
설교: 

Acts 16:6-10 Power game
Let me ask you some questions. Who has the power of making decision in your family ? Who educate your children ? Who manage your home ? Sometimes men and wives quarrel. And the reason of quarrel is basically power game. A husband says, "I am the head of my family. My wife and children have to follow my decision." But the wife says, "No, decision is not yours only but ours. You are not the head of our family but the servant of us."
Human history tells us that nations and peoples fought because of power game. The book of Kings in the bible also tells that the children and relatives of the kings killed each others because of power game. We can see the power game even in the children's world.
Especially the power game between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law is one of the worst games in Korea. They want to manage their sons or husbands for themselves. Therefore some of the Korean husbands or sons feel stressful and die early. Then the power game stops.
Sometimes Christian wives and husbands quarrel over a tithe. If the wife wants to give God tithe, but her husband does not want to give tithe to God, who do you think is better to have the power ? The future of families, societies and nations depends on who has the power.
Let me ask you again. Who has the power in your family ? I do not mean a wife or husband but you or Jesus. If the power does not belong to Jesus but to you, your future is not guaranteed because you are not omniscient nor omnipotent.
God called Abraham when he was 75 years old. God promised to give him a son. But it passed 25 years until the promise fulfilled. What do you think happened during the 25 years ? It was nothing but the power game between God and Abraham. God wanted Abraham to follow His way. But Abraham did not give up his own way. Abraham had the son Ishmael the ancestor of Arab by his own way. And the result of that was the fight between and Ishmael and Isaac who was born in God's way. And their power game has been connected to the Middle East War.
My beloved, becoming the man of God means giving his sovereignty to God. If you think yourself to be the servant of God and God to be your sovereign Lord, you are the men of God. Of course, giving my sovereignty to God is not easy. But we have to know that surrendering our sovereignty to God is better for us.
When I visited a family, I saw a word "Jesus is the owner of our home." It means Jesus has the power over the family. I want your family to be like that.
The apostle Paul says, "I no longer live, but Christ lives in me."(Gal 2:20) "I die every day."(1 Cor 15:31) To be Jesus' disciples means to surrender his sovereignty to Jesus. People might think that the act of weakness. But that is not the act of weakness but the act of braveness. If you give your sovereignty to Jesus, Jesus gives you the blessing and happiness of the kingdom of heaven.
Let's take a look at Peter. He tried to catch fish with his own way, but caught nothing. But when he followed the word of Jesus, he caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. Of course, it was not easy for Peter to follow Jesus because Jesus is not a fisherman but a carpenter.
Just as Jesus said to Peter "Follow me.", so he says to us, "Follow me. Give me your sovereignty. I will take care of you and your family." Brother and sisters, who made decision to come here Canada ? Wife or husband or children ? Or God ? If you have decisive power, you have to take care of yourself. But if you give God your sovereignty, God will take care of you. I pray that God will rule over us, so that we may prosper by His sovereign power. Amen !