Proclaim the Risen Lord

(This sermon was delivered at the 2014 Dallas Church Association Easter Sunrise United Worship Service.)

2 Corinthians 4:5

Hallelujah! The news of Jesus’ resurrection is the greatest joy for humanity. However, in Korea, the nation is mourning the tragic loss of many students in a ferry sinking accident. As the country grieves, we pray for God’s abundant grace and comfort to be with those affected. Many churches in Ansan are deeply impacted by this tragedy. Was this disaster caused by a lack of faith or prayer? Certainly not. Such accidents, often caused by the negligence of leaders, could happen anytime and anywhere. This is the reality of the world we live in.

Amid such circumstances, what is our hope as believers in Christ? It is the assurance that, in a little while, the Lord will return, and at that moment, the children of God will be transformed into resurrection bodies like Christ and meet Him in the air. Together with the saints who have gone before us, we will live eternally in God’s kingdom. This is why Jesus’ resurrection brings true comfort to those in sorrow and fills us with hope and joy.

Yet, despite the joy of the resurrection, are we truly living in that joy? If not, there are two issues of sin we must confront.

First, there is a spiritual complacency about saving souls.
The Bible says, “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27) We do not know when that day will come for anyone, which is why proclaiming the gospel cannot be delayed. Postponing it reveals a spiritual complacency about the salvation of souls. This neglect can become a grave sin that leads many to eternal destruction, as we are reminded through the ferry sinking tragedy. This is why Paul declared, “Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16) God gave us the Law to help us grasp the seriousness of sin. However, Satan has placed a veil over people’s hearts. When hearts are veiled, even reading the Bible does not lead to understanding the severity of sin as revealed through the Law. Such individuals mistakenly believe they are safe while they, and others, are headed toward the fires of hell.

Second, we remain in darkness.
What is this darkness? It includes not only immoral cultures like that of Sodom but also anger, insults, and hatred toward others. Countless incidents caused by arguments and conflicts occur every day. This is why 2 Timothy 2:14 warns us not to quarrel before God, as it is useless and ruins those who listen. Even if you are right, if your actions lead to ruin and darkness in others, you are living as an enemy of the cross. After encountering Jesus, Paul considered his own righteousness, wisdom, and pride to be loss and even rubbish. Instead, he boasted only in his weaknesses and the cross of Christ. Paul exhorted others, saying, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1) God made Paul an example for all who believe and receive eternal life through Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 1:16).

But what about us? Do we claim to believe in Jesus while still walking in darkness? Do we deceive ourselves into thinking we are recipients of grace while living in sin? Do not be deceived. 1 John 1:7 says, “If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” Grace comes only when we walk in the light. Those who do not walk in the light but continue in darkness are liars, denying God with their actions despite professing Him with their lips. When the Lord returns, He will say to such people, “I never knew you.”

So, what must we do? We must turn away from living as enemies of the cross. This requires coming to the cross, kneeling before the Lord, and pleading for His blood to cleanse us. This is forsaking our righteousness and submitting to God’s righteousness. God’s righteousness is this: He does not hold us accountable for our sins but instead bore the punishment for our sins on the cross, enduring the pain, insults, and curses we deserved. After His resurrection, the Lord intercedes for us in the heavenly sanctuary. Through faith, He sprinkles His blood upon our hearts, sanctifying us and presenting us to God as His children. Therefore, we must boast only in the blood of Jesus, declaring, “The blood of Jesus has saved me, justified me, and redeemed me.”

When we do this, God gives us the Holy Spirit as a guarantee. The Holy Spirit enables us to live as witnesses, proclaiming that Jesus, who was crucified and resurrected, is both Lord and Christ.

How should we proclaim Him?
Today’s passage states, “What we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.” (2 Corinthians 4:5) First, we must not proclaim ourselves. If we boast of ourselves, the veil over people’s hearts will not be removed, and the light of the gospel cannot shine upon them.

Instead, we must proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as servants for His sake. This is evidence that we have abandoned our own righteousness, wisdom, and pride to testify about Jesus, the Light. The Holy Spirit empowers us to serve one another in love, considering others better than ourselves with the mind of Christ. This bears the fruit of the Spirit, shining as light in the world. When this light shines through us to others, the darkness retreats, and the Lordship of Jesus is revealed and proclaimed.

But why does Scripture emphasize serving one another as servants rather than merely loving one another? Think of books or movies about the lives of slaves. A servant cannot respond in anger or demand rights, even when wronged by their master. Instead, they humbly say, “I am an unworthy servant.” This is the attitude of a servant as described in Scripture. In the spiritual realm, this humility prevents Satan from gaining a foothold and allows Christ, who humbled Himself to the point of death, to be revealed.

This means that to proclaim Jesus as Lord, we must approach others, starting with our families, in the attitude of a servant. When we do, the veil over their hearts will be lifted, and the light of the gospel will shine into their souls.

My father worked in Japan for seven years before returning to Korea. My mother was a believer, but my father opposed her faith, even going so far as to beat her for attending church. Despite this, my mother never argued but prayed earnestly to God. One day, in her deep sorrow, she prayed, asking God to take her life. Suddenly, in fluent Japanese, a voice rebuked my father, saying, “You are persecuting Me and your wife. I will claim your soul.” My mother, who did not know Japanese, repeated this message three times. My father, trembling as if an earthquake had struck, crawled to my mother, repented, and accepted Jesus. From that day, my father accompanied my mother to early morning prayer. Though we were poor, our home became a heaven filled with hymns and joy.

In this way, when we serve as servants proclaiming Jesus as Lord, starting in our own families, we will be filled with the righteousness, peace, and joy of the risen Lord. This will extend to our churches and even to the Korean immigrant community in Dallas. I believe such spiritual revival can begin with the Dallas Council of Churches, spreading a movement that rejects pluralism and boldly proclaims Jesus as Lord.

Lastly, to all saints called in Christ,
May this grace of God remain upon your families, churches, and the Korean community in Dallas until the day the Lord returns and you receive the crown of righteousness.

Prayer
Heavenly Father,
In this time when many lives are lost due to the negligence of leaders, we thank You for entrusting us with the far greater responsibility of saving souls. Yet we confess that we have neglected this responsibility, ignoring the cries of lost souls while focusing on our own safety and material gain. Forgive us, Lord.

This Easter morning, the Dallas Council of Churches resolves to testify to the Lordship of Jesus by serving one another in love as Your servants. May this movement to proclaim the power of Your blood spread throughout the world. Comfort and grant abundant grace to those who are in deep sorrow.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.