Coming of the Glory of God

I Kings 8:10-11

First of all, thanksgiving and praise to God for allowing us to have this building dedication service today. And we want to welcome and thank all of you for coming to celebrate with us on this joyous occasion.

As many of you know, we the True Light Community Church is in transition. After the sermon, we will hear about our journey and how we arrived here with a report from Elder CJ Jeong, but a quick history is that we sold our building, prior to my arrival, we worshipped at the sanctuary of the Presbytery Center, and on June 12, we moved in here.

We prayed for a building that will allow us to live out the vision God has given us to the best of our abilities. We had to be realistic, yet at the same we relied upon the Lord to lead us to right places, and God granted this space. After looking at so many places and praying, we are here today, dedicating this place to the Lord and giving worship to God.

Of course, this place is not perfect. There are little inconveniences here and there. AC did not work at times, and the maintenance leave room to be desired. And there are still work to do. But this is the place God granted us to worship and serve him for the next few years.

During college, we would often have to sublet apartments to stay in Boston area during the summer. There was one summer, where I couldn’t find an apartment to sublet. So, I spent one month with this friend, the next month in a different apartment with another friend, and few weeks with some church members, who were all gracious. I probably moved around 4 times in 3-month period. Thankfully I didn’t have much stuff, but still moving was hard. And in the fall, when I finally got my apartment to spend a year, what a joy and relief, because it was my space.

Even though there may be inconveniences, we are still thankful. We are able to worship God here, freely, over the next few years, until God decides to send us out again. Little things of inconveniences do not matter. What’s important is that people can worship God here and meet God here. I pray that God’s presence will be here.

Our text today speaks of bringing the Ark of the Covenant into the temple King Solomon had built. When the Ark was brought in, the cloud filled the temple of the LORD, and the priests could not perform their service. It says that “the glory of the LORD filled his temple.” The cloud represents the presence of God with his people. God had come into the temple. The cloud that led and protected the Israelites throughout the wilderness has come to the temple. What makes temple a temple, sanctuary a sanctuary? It is the presence of God. I pray that God’s presence will be here, so that this place will be able to show forth the glory of God.

Then, what does the presence of God, coming of God represent or mean to us? First of all, the presence of God means that our lives will be transformed. When God’s presence comes upon here, we the True Light Community Church must be changed. We can no longer be our former selves, but we must go forth with renewed self.

We see many people whose lives are changed because they experienced the presence of God. Abraham saw God descending as a fire, making covenant with him, and afterwards, his faith grew so that he was willing to sacrifice Isaac, his only son. Moses, after meeting God in the burning bush, no longer became a wanderer, but a great leader of Israel, who led them through Exodus. Gideon, after coming face to face with God’s angel, led Israelites to victory in battle.

It is same in the New Testament. Disciples, fearful of the authorities, became confidence and preached the Gospel when the Holy Spirit descended upon them. Saul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, and became Paul, an apostle to the Gentile nations. Thomas doubted the resurrection of Jesus, but when he met resurrected Jesus confessed one of the most beautiful confessions, “my Lord and my God,” went to India, and was martyred there. Samaritan woman, after meeting Jesus, also went and witnessed him.

If one experiences the presence of God, he or she cannot not change. If there is no change in our hearts, that means that we have not experienced God’s presence. If there is no discernable change before and after accepting Jesus, then we really need to look deep into our hearts. We, True Light Community Church, cannot be the same church, if we experience the presence of God here. We need new beginning. As water turned into wine, and as Saul became Paul, so our church must be renewed.

How do we change? What kind of changes do we need? If we experience God’s presence, then we no longer live the life focused on our own selves, but focused on the Kingdom of God. What, then, is the life focused on the Kingdom of God?

In Matthew 11, we see John the Baptist sending his disciples to ask Jesus a question. “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” (v. 3). Jesus answers this way. “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind received sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor” (vv. 4-5). What does this mean? When John the Baptist asks, are you the Messiah, Jesus, Jesus replies back saying sick are healed and the poor are receiving the good news. Why? Because that is the sign of God’s Kingdom expanding.

We often mistaken what Kingdom of God is. During the Biblical times, they thought of it as Davidic Kingdom here on earth. The Messiah will drive out the Romans and establish Davidic kingdom once again. But today, people think opposite about the Kingdom of God. They think of it as where our soul is headed after death. So many churches are focused on “salvation of souls.”

Yes, that’s not completely wrong. But the Kingdom of God has greater meaning. Look at the Apostles’ Creed. “Resurrection of the body.” God’s Kingdom is not just spiritual place. Our body will rise again, and with that risen body, we will enjoy God’s Kingdom with Jesus. And this Kingdom of God has already started and is expanding forth.

“The blind received sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.” This is the ministry of redemption and healing. When God created heavens and the earth, everything was good. But those good things became defiled as result of sin. Different disease, pain, and suffering came into the world. Through healing from those things, God’s Kingdom is expanded.

In other word, to live Kingdom focused life, we need to be active in the ministry of reconciliation and redemption. Giving bread to the hungry, water to the thirsty, rest to the restless, love to the neglected…these kinds of work. I pray and hope that the True Light Community Church will be the church that carries on these ministries well. There are many throughout the world who are living difficult life, and I hope we can be the place of rest for them.

I believe there is a reason God sent us here. This is the central location to Korean immigrant society, and at the same time, this is the area where many different races and ethnicities come together. We need to be soul quenching agent to the Korean community and the community at large here in Aurora. We will work hard to be a church where people can come, rest, grab coffee, carry on small conversations, and experience the presence of God and the love of Jesus Christ. I appeal to all the members of True Light Community Church to carry this task on faithfully.

But friends, this sort of transformation through God’s presence is not something we can work or strive for. It happens naturally when we experience God’s presence. If we had to work hard and do our best to experience God’s presence and blessings, then there is nothing more despairing. Why? How much harder can we work? How much more can we try? We can always try and work harder. Because God is so perfect, none of our efforts are good enough to satisfy his requirements. Who of us can say, I am serving God well enough? If there is one who thinks that way, that person does not know God fully. There is nothing we can offer up to perfect God, if it is based on our efforts.

Then what can we do? We need to know that the transformation does not happen by our efforts, but through the presence of God. God’s presence is a big blessing and grace. Look at 1 Kings 8:27. This is Solomon’s prayer to God. “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!” Not even this universe can contain God, but how can God dwell in the small temple made by men? That is grace. Because of God’s love, he knows us and chooses to dwell with us.

How would you feel if the President Obama or other famous people knew you? If they want to be with you? I had an opportunity last year to eat dinner with KJ Choi. I was looked upon with such envy by lots of people.

How much more when our God, the creator of all, wants to dwell with us? This is unbelievable. God, out of his grace, gives answer to Solomon’s question. About 1,000 years after Solomon, this God came to be with us and dwelt with us. John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

What is this Word? “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men.” This Word was God, life, Creator, and the True Light. He was Jesus Christ! “The Word became flesh and made dwelling among us.” This “made dwelling among” has the same Greek root as the word “tabernacle.”

Why did Jesus come to dwell with us? Why did he take on a human body and come into this world? It is because he loved us. It is grace. He loved us so he wanted to redeem us. While we were still yet sinners, Christ died for us on the cross. The coming presence of God means Immanuel God restoring us.

May this presence of God be with all of us, so that we will be transformed, and be the church that works for the expansion of God’s Kingdom. May God’s present glory be with True Light Community Church members and all who are here, worshipping and celebrating with us.