St Timothy Presbyterian Church

Scripture Passage Isaiah 9:2-7, Luke 2:8-14 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script A Special Christmas It is wonderful to celebrate Christmas together. It is special to have Christmas on Sunday. Every 7 years or so, Christmas falls on Sunday. Christmas is a special day for many people. Christmas brightens up December. It brings joy to all of us. May God's peace and joy fill you all. Your presence here brightens up this Christmas. Christmas is not a celebration of the few privileged. Christmas is a celebration of everybody regardless of who you are. Jesus Christ was born for all of us, especially for those who cannot help themselves. The First to Hear God revealed the message of Christmas to the shepherds. When we think about shepherds, we have this romantic image. But in reality, the shepherds were not necessarily romantic people who lived a romantic life. They lived a nomadic life, but not necessarily a romantic life. They were not considered as highly respected people in Jesus' time. They often attacke

Scripture Passage James 5:7-10 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Moving Forward No matter how good life is at the moment, it is never complete. As long as we live, there is still more to live for. As long as I have breath, my work is not yet done. This is how St. Paul lived. He did not remain comfortable or complacent in the present. He continually strained toward what lay ahead. Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal, but I press on to lay hold of that for which Christ has laid hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have laid hold of it, but one thing I have laid hold of: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal, toward the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-13) The expectation of what lay ahead fueled St. Paul. The expectation of something better, something more complete than the present. If we don't have expectations, something we're striving for, we're not

Scripture Passage Isaiah 11:1-10 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script A Beautiful Dream We reflected on the beautiful dream of Isaiah last week. They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (Isaiah 2:4) It is a beautiful dream. Prophets are prophets not because they have the ability to foresee what will happen in the future, not because they are able to speak a strong moral message, but because they are able to dream when nobody can dare to dream. They are able to see the vision nobody can imagine. They have prophetic dreams and prophetic visions. Today, we hear another beautiful dream of Isaiah. The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing ch

Scripture Passage Isaiah 2:1-5 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Expressing Visions People always live with dreams and visions. No matter how difficult life may be, they always come up with dreams and visions. We are built that way. We are built to be dreamers. Without dreams and visions, we cannot survive. No Dream, No Life Look around us. People express their dreams and visions through their art, through their songs, and through their speeches. John Lennon sang he was a dreamer in his song, Imagine. You may say I’m a dreamer But I’m not the only one I hope someday you’ll join us And the world will be as one. The other day, I watched Michael Jackson's video, Heal the world. Heal the world Make it a better place For you and for me, and the entire human race Create a world with no fear Together we cry happy tears See the nations turn their swords into plowshares Michael Jackson quoted from the prophet Isaiah. They all dreamt about the world where there is no more fight, no more war, no more viole

Scripture Passage Joel 2:23-32 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Joel’s Prophecy We read Joel's prophecy today. Probably you never heard of the name Joel. Joel was a prophet in Israel. He lived near Jerusalem. We don't know exactly when he lived. But scholars estimate that he lived around 400 BC. Then, you can say he lived around the time Plato lived. Plato was born 427 BC. At that time, Israel went through the agricultural disaster. Not only they didn't have much rain but they had locust problems. Locusts are grasshoppers. They can be quite harmful to agriculture. They ate up all the crops. People starved to death. They were devastated. Their environment was beyond their control. They could do nothing with their own power. They felt powerless and helpless. That's when God sent Joel. Joel – It is a good name. Joel – You have a good name. Joel = Jehovah is (my) God. When we go through devastation, when we feel helpless and hopeless, when we have no power left in us, when we see only darkness ahead of

Scripture Passage Luke 18:1-8 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script God Answers Jesus wants us to pray. Jesus want us to pray always. And Jesus wants us to pray and not to lose heart. That is what this parable is all about. These three things are pillars of prayer life. First, Jesus wants us to pray because God answers our prayer. Without this faith, our prayers become meaningless. Jesus himself believed that. He prayed whenever he had to make big decisions such as calling disciples and accepting his death in Gethsemane. If we have faith that God answers our prayers, then we can pray to God. Jonah prayed to God. Elijah prayed to God. Jeremiah prayed to God. Moses prayed to God. Job prayed to God. Paul prayed to God. They all prayed to God because they believed that God would answer their prayers. This is what Jesus said. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (Mark 11:24) This is what Jeremiah said. Call to me and I will answer you, and

Scripture Passage Luke 17:11-19 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script The Thankful Heart Happy Thanksgiving! We have gathered together this morning with a thankful heart for all the blessings God has bestowed upon us. We thank God for the family, friends, and the church. We thank God for providing what we need and more. We thank God for giving us peace and joy. We thank God for the wonderful life. There are so many things we are thankful for. The other day, I went to London for the induction of the Rev. Son. On the way to London, we saw leaves changing their colour. We thank God for the beautiful nature we enjoy. We should take care of our natural environment. More than anything else, we thank God FOR THE THANKFUL HEART we can have. The heart to be thankful – It is hard to have. Without a thankful heart, we cannot enjoy what we have. True joy comes not when you have the abundance but when you recognize your abundance. When you know how to appreciate the abundance you have, you will have the deep joy. Tr

Scripture Passage Luke 17:5-10 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script The Nature of Discipleship Today's passage is a difficult one. Right away, we're not comfortable with the language of slaves and masters. Jesus' story about the slave seems harsh. What is Jesus saying? Is he saying that we should treat those who work for us harshly? Is he saying that everyone in inferior positions should just keep their heads down and do as they're told? We shouldn't generalize this to apply to every situation. It's not a license for bosses to abuse and exploit their employees. It doesn't mean you should just accept any treatment from your bosses or superiors. In today's story, Jesus is talking to his disciples. He is talking about the nature of discipleship. He is telling them what their attitude should be when they serve others. This is what he said: Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, We are worthless slaves; we have done only wh

Scripture Passage Luke 16:19-31 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Blessed Are The Poor Why did the rich man go to hell and the poor man go to heaven? Was it because he was rich that he went to hell? Do the rich go to hell and the poor go to heaven? I don't think it is right to come up with this conclusion. We cannot generalize the ultimate fate of the rich and the poor from this passage. But it is true that the Scripture speaks quite a lot in favour of the poor. Especially in Luke. From the beginning of his gospel, he started with that. Listen to Mary's song, Magnificat: He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. (Luke 1:53) Then Jesus' inauguration speech: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. (Luke 4:18) Then Jesus: Sermon on the Plain It is Beatitude in Luke. Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. (Luke 6:20) In Matthew's version, he said, Blessed are the poor in spirit but Luke simply

Scripture Passage Luke 16:1-13 Worship Video Due to technical difficulties, the Worship Video is unavailable for this sermon. Worship Audio Sermon Script One Clear Message It is a very difficult parable. We are not sure what the message is. We are not sure what message Jesus wanted to get across through this parable. There is no obvious connection between the parable and Jesus' concluding message at the end. Let us start with Jesus' message at the end. We hear two messages Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. (Luke 16:10) No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth (Mammon). (Luke 16:13) But we are not sure how these two messages are related to the parable Jesus gave us. But there is one clear message. That is, Money and living a Christian life are directly connected. To live a good Christian

Scripture Passage Exodus 32:7-14 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Stiff-Necked In his conversation with Moses, God refers to the Israelites in a peculiar way. He calls them a STIFF-NECKED people. The Lord said to Moses, I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are. (Exodus 32:9) This term comes from an agricultural setting. It was used for animals that would IGNORE the farmer's tug at the reins to turn in a certain direction and instead go where it wanted to go. It refers to an attitude of our mind. If a person was described as being stiff-necked, it meant that they were STUBBORN and REBELLIOUS. In what way was the Israelites stiff-necked? From the context of the passage, it's not so apparent. All they did was to make the golden calf. They didn't make it for no reason. They were afraid. Moses went up to the mountain to speak to God, but showed no sign of coming back. They started to get worried. The longer he was away, they became more impatient. They wondered, Did Moses abandon us? Did

Scripture Passage Jeremiah 18:1-11 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Shaped and Molded Being shaped and molded – that's how we become who we are. We are constantly being molded and shaped. Many times, we don't even know how we have come where we are. It just happened. Or we just let it happen. We are not aware of how we have become the kind of person we are. Yes, we were born to be a certain kind of person. I have 5 grandchildren but they are all so different. They were all born differently. Genetically, we have been shaped in a certain way. A lot of our diseases are genetic. Our certain personalities were given at our birth. Look at Jacob in the Bible. He was born to be a fighter. Afterwards his brother came out, with his hand gripping Esau's heel; so he was named Jacob. (Genesis 25:26) He wanted to come out ahead of his brother. That character brought him a lot of troubles. His character led him to trick his brother to get the birthright. He even tricked his father to get the birthright and ultima

Scripture Passage Luke 14:1-7-14 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script In or Out In or Out? This is very important to so many people. Nobody wants to be out. Everybody wants to be in. It is not a good feeling to be rejected. Everybody wants to be wanted and welcomed. Even among friends, we get hurt when we feel excluded. One of the greatest headaches in planning the wedding is to decide who to invite and not only that – where to seat them. I think It was the same 2,000 years ago. That's why Jesus used a parable of a wedding banquet. Not only people want to be in but they want to be at the highest place. Jesus said this, knowing what people wanted: do not sit down at the place of honour (Luke 14:8) People measure their worth by how well accepted they are. So people try so hard to be accepted. To feel important. To feel worthy. If that is the measure of your worth, Jesus did not do very well. He was rejected, hated, abandoned, and killed. But Jesus never measured his worth by how well he was accepted. He

Scripture Passage Luke 13:10-17 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Bent Over Today we see a woman who was bent over. She was unable to stand up straight. She lived like this for 18 years. Not an easy life. Her life was crooked in a literal sense. She always had to see people sideways, from the corners of her eyes. She couldn't see people straight. Always a sideways glance. That was how she had to see the world. Not only was she bent over physically but her existence became shrunk. It was all shrivelled up. She came into the synagogue after Jesus started teaching. In other words, she was late coming for the worship. Maybe, she sneaked into the service after everyone was gone into the service, hoping that she wouldn't be noticed. She wanted to see this famous healer. Like the woman who touched Jesus' clothes in secret. She could never take for granted what most people took for granted. Even for worship, she could not come freely. Other people could come early and they even had their own seat but not th

Scripture Passage Hebrews 11:29-12:2 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Through Faith Today's passage is a familiar passage to all of us. It is a passage on FAITH. Hebrews writer paints a grand, sweeping picture of our so-called ancestors' of faith. We come across familiar events and names, like the Israelites crossing the Red Sea. We hear about the great and wonderful things that were done because of faith. And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. (Hebrews 11:32-34) These are triumphant and glorious moments. Achievements that are worth mentioning. Things we ourselves can't even dream of doing. Shutting the mouths of lions? As the Hebrews writer says, the list can go on and

Scripture Passage Luke 12:35-40 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Providing Breakthrough I want to reflect on the word breakthrough It gives me the image of breaking through an obstacle. Overcoming strong resistance. Our stories from the Bible are stories of breakthroughs. They don't take place when life is good. They arise when people's backs are to the wall. When the Israelites fled from Egypt, the Pharaoh sent his chariots racing after them. The Israelites were cornered. The chariots were breathing down them on one side. On the other side was the Red Sea. Despair and panic set in. There was no way out. But God provided the breakthrough they needed. God parted the Red Sea and created an opening for escape. That is the theme of the Bible: God who provides the breakthrough and a way when there seems to be no other way. Jesus came to a people who were desperate for a breakthrough. They were suffering under horrible conditions. All the joy of living had been sapped out. In Jesus they saw the opening

Scripture Passage Luke 12:13-21 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script The Fool Jesus called the rich man a fool. Why was he foolish? He didn't call him a bad man or an evil man, but a foolish man. His land produced abundantly. He worked hard. He did not cheat anyone. He did not exploit others to do so. He was a person that many of us would respect. When the land produced more than his barns could store, he did what any prudent investor would do. He tore down the old barns and built up bigger ones. Then he wanted to relax and enjoy life. Didn't he deserve to enjoy the fruits of his labour? Some of you are nearing retirement, and you're making sure that there is indeed enough stored up to enjoy for many years to come. I don't think there's anything foolish in that. It is not the fact that he was rich, or the fact that he wanted to enjoy the wealth he had accumulated that made him foolish. Working hard, being successful, and wanting to enjoy the fruits of those labours is not foolish. Many of you have had

Scripture Passage Luke 11:1-13 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Thirst We all know that prayer is important. Without prayer, our spiritual life will become dry. With prayer, we will be able to overcome our worries and anxieties. Through prayer, our faith will grow and we can live a more meaningful and confident life. Prayer is so important and so good. God gave us this precious gift to take care of us. Then what is prayer? Many people think of prayer merely as one of religious activities. To them, prayer is simply what they do. When we look at prayer simply as what we do, we won't be able to see the fruit of our prayers. Prayer is not just what we do or what we say. Just because you are not articulate, that doesn't mean that you don't know how to pray. Prayer is for everyone. Prayer is not limited to just few devout people. Anyone can pray. You can get so much help through your prayer. TO ME, PRAYER IS DESIRE. Prayer is my soul's desire. It is my desire to know God. It is my desire to live. As a de

Scripture Passage Galatians 6:7-9 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Life’s Simple Truth Life is about sowing and reaping. If you sow what is good, you will reap what is good. If you sow what is not so good, you will reap disaster. If you sow potato, you will reap potato. If you sow tomato, you will reap tomato. From pear tree, you cannot expect apples. That was what Jesus said. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. (Matthew 7:16-18) It is life's simple truth. That was what St. Paul said in today's passage. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. (Galatians 6:8) It's like you have the flesh and the Spirit within you. They are like fields. If you sow to the field of the flesh, you will reap c

Scripture Passage Proverbs 8:22-31 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Wisdom in the Darkness In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:1, 2) This is a familiar image we have about creation. Before God created the heavens and the earth, there was nothing but a formless void and darkness. Empty and dark: That was what was like before creation. But today's passage tells us something else. There was something else, something more than emptiness and darkness. There was wisdom. Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. (Proverbs 8:23) This I' is the Wisdom. When you read the whole chapter, you will see that. There was wisdom right from the beginning before the creation of the world. Wisdom has been all along in this world. The world was created by this wisdom and therefore, the world is permeated with wisdom. So wisdom