Happy and blessed Thanksgiving!

I hope that we can, on this Thanksgiving Sunday, look back upon the year and be thankful for the faithfulness of God upon us this past year.

There are so many things to be thankful for.

Each and every day, we may not realize how much God loves us or blesses us.

But once we reflect back, we realize that God has been with us every step of the way and carried us.

I am sure many of you are familiar with the story of the footprints.

One person looked back, as he was walking, and saw two sets of footprints.

He knew that one set was his and the other set was the Lord’s.

But when we looked at again later, he only saw one set of footprints.

So he asked the Lord.

Lord, you were walking with me, but you left me alone at times.

Why did you leave me at times when I was struggling and having difficulties?

Then the Lord answered him, saying that it was those difficult times, the Lord was carrying this man.

The one set of footprints he saw was not his, but the Lord’s.

How true is this story?

Is it not the grace of God that has brought us thus far?

The reason we are here today is because God has protected us and led us thus far.

Also, was it not God’s love and faithfulness that has carried our church for the past 35 years?

Yes, the church went through difficult times.

But the one who carried us through those difficulties we caused for ourselves was the Lord.

As I have mentioned before, the artist of the universe does not make mistakes.

So I hope and pray that we will especially thank God for all his goodness and grace on this Thanksgiving Sunday.

Recently, I read an article concerning the grace of God.

We live by the grace of God, but for Asian American Christians, the article writes, grace is difficult to accept.

It says that it is difficult to live in and under grace.

If, by the grace of God, we have received Jesus Christ as Lord, then that grace ought to free us.

But many Asian Christians, including Koreans for sure, are not truly free in grace, and they live under the bondage of something else.

What does this mean?

Well, we have to understand what grace really means.

In Korean, the word grace is often used to denote spiritual gifts as well.

The gift of prophecy, prayer, healing, etc.

But more fundamentally, it means “free gift.”

We believe we receive salvation by grace, free gift.

Yes, that is absolutely correct!

Salvation is not something that I can earn through work, but it is given to us freely by the grace of God.

It does not come to me, because I have done something right or good; rather, it is given freely through the sovereignty of God.

But why is it so difficult for Asians to live in this grace?

It has to do with Confucian culture that is so deeply rooted within us.

In Confucian culture, there is no such thing as free gift.

Gift given must be paid back.

I got married in Korea.

I probably have mentioned it before, but as we were preparing to get married, we were searching for a wedding hall.

My wife’s side was expecting around 300 people, and my side was expecting somewhere between 150~200 people.

But the wedding hall had enough room for about 250.

I thought the hall was too small, but my wife thought it was fine.

How can a wedding hall that fits 250 be big enough for around 500 guests?

But it was enough.

The reason it was enough is the wedding culture is Korea is vastly different from one here, and vast majority of the people do not stay for the whole wedding.

The ones who are there from beginning to the end are either family members or close friends, and the rest of them just show their face and eat and go on their way.

Why do they show their face?

It is because they have to pay back.

So it is important to keep track of who came and how much they paid.

If that person came to a wedding in my family and paid certain amount as a gift, then I must go to a wedding of that person’s family and pay back.

Even if I am unable to attend the wedding, the gift (cash) must be sent.

The amount has to be comparable to what that person gave as well.

And since you paid, you might as well as eat something.

So if you think about it, rather than it being a gift to congratulate a new couple, it is more about repaying for their gift earlier.

Such tradition has taken shape in America as well, amongst Korean Americans.

Yesterday, this girl, a daughter of a deacon at the first church my dad ministered in US, got married in Atlanta.

That deacon gave pretty big gifts when I got married and when my brother got married.

So, my parents had to match that gift as well.

This is just one example, but that’s the mindset of Asians – gifts must be paid back.

We view God’s grace the same way.

So we try to repay God for the grace that he has lavished on us.

Even many of the pastors, including myself, preach to emphasize the death we owe.

“God has sacrificed his one and only Son for you, so you must give yourself completely to God.”

We think we need to give our life to God in order to pay back the sacrifice God has made on our behalf.

Isn’t this true though?

Because we accepted Jesus as Lord by God’s grace, we ought to devote ourselves to God.

We need to do the right things, act in righteousness, love our neighbors, help those who are poor…

We need to be fervent in our worship, give offering sacrificially, pray with commitment (early in the morning, late at night, fasting, etc.), serve cheerfully, and such…

Is this not what God wants of us?

Yes, that is absolutely correct.

But what’s important is what goes on in our hearts when we do those things.

Why do we serve the Lord fervently?

If it is to repay God for his grace, then it becomes another bond that traps us.

Think about God’s grace.

Can we really repay God for his grace upon us?

If you think yes, God’s grace can be repaid – then you really don’t know God’s grace.

If you think no, it can’t be repaid – how big of a burden it becomes, trying to repay the debt you cannot handle?

We become slaves to that burden.

Then what shall we do?

Rather than thinking we have to repay God, receive the gift of God freely, with thanksgiving.

It is a free gift, so receive it as a free gift.

Do not try to repay, rather be thankful for the wonderful gift.

This is important!

With thanksgiving!

The list mentioned just a moment ago, service and dedication, righteous living, loving one another, worshipping God – all of these are what believers must do.

But the reason behind doing these things is not to repay, but expression of gratitude for the amazing grace of God in our lives.

Then we will no longer be burdened or trapped for something we cannot pay back, but rather be free in God’s grace to live the life God wants for us.

Our text today says, “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”

The reason we live in faith and walk in Christ is to show thanksgiving to God.

Let us live freely in God’s grace for God, expressing our gratitude and thanksgiving.

May we live for God’s glory in thanksgiving of grace he has shown us.