2020.11.1. Yonsei University Church

Breaking Out of the Religious Shell

Prayer of devotion

God, thank you for renewing us with the word of life at this time. Let us not forget the first impression and determination that the age of faith is deepening, and when everything is comfortable and satisfactory, let us look back to see if we have fallen into inertia. Rather than settling in one place, let us use the Word of God as a lamp to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Please be with us. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

There's a poem called "Come Only the Original." It's a poem by poet Shin Dong-yup.

"Go the shells. In the poem that begins in April, poet Shin Dong-yup lamented the situation in which the pure and noble spirit of the April 19 revolution, which took place against injustice and hypocrisy, is disappearing over time.

How come it's just the April Revolution? Many movements and reforms that began in good faith in history have faded over time, leaving the spirit with only names and slogans, and there are so many worse cases than before.

I recently happened to see a Netflix documentary about Caesar, and I became interested in a character named Caesar, so I reread Shiono Nanami's <The Story of the Romans>, and I also bought and read Caesar's <The Gallic Wars>.

In order to understand the history of Europe and the Near East, I cannot pass without knowing Caesar. I encourage you to read about Caesar as it helps you understand the great background of the New Testament.

In the 1st century B.C., Rome was choosing a republic, so the elected assemblymen were ruling in turn, but there was always a conflict between the Senate and the people. Caesar was a member of Populares from the beginning and did his best to keep the conservatives' aristocratic forces in check and drive out. That's how true representative politics can be achieved.

Caesar, who made a remarkable contribution in the Gallic War and crossed the Rubicon to enter Rome as a triumphal general, now has an absolute influence that the Senate cannot deal with. Now, as he had dreamed of his life, the opportunity to establish a more rational and fair political system came.

By the way, Caesar made a decision that disappointed everyone. He abolished the Republican Government and became a “lifetime dictator.” Eventually, he was assassinated by people trying to return to the Republican Party in March 44 B.C., a month after taking office as the dictator, and died at the age of 56.

There are countless similar examples. Oliver Cromwell abolished the English monarchy and introduced the parliamentary system through the Puritan Revolution in 1645, but soon he created a position called "Lord Protector" to establish a more oppressive dictatorship than the monarchy, and even to become king himself, he died of illness in 1658. After his death, his son took over the regime, but became a royal restoration, turning the wheels of history upside down. Cromwell was dug up, hung in chains, and beheaded.

Why do things started with such a good will repeat themselves in vain at the moment when they can be completed? Why do things that start with a pure and noble spirit end with falsehood, injustice, and dictatorship? As a result, why does the tragedy that is so damaging to you and others repeat itself? Is there any way that doesn't fit with such a miserable ending?

During an interrogation held at Worms Cathedral on April 17, 1521, Luther was pressured to deny all the words and books he had ever claimed in criticizing the Catholic Church and the Pope. Luther didn't immediately respond to this, but asked for enough time, and replied the following day:

"My conscience is caught up in the word of God. Nothing can be canceled. It is not only not right to do anything that goes against the conscience, it is not safe. I am standing here. God, help me. Amen."

This is the famous Borms Declaration. Through this declaration, Luther took the path of religious reform that could not be returned.

Luther lived every day with the thought of living in front of God, not in front of people. Called Coram Deo in Latin, it is considered a slogan to express Luther's life and theology.

At the time Luther made such a declaration, consider the grand system of religion.

At the time, religion was dominating everything.

Beginning with personal and family life, order was maintained through religion in cities, countries, and throughout Europe.

Religion governed not only life but also the area after death.

The whole world was in the framework of religion.

By the way, Luther ignored all of this and made a declaration that could endanger his life based only on his conscience and God's Word.

In today's sermon, we talked a lot about history.

The reason for this is that, looking at the scripture given to us today, we felt that we should be aware of the historical situation facing Protestantism in our country.

No one can deny that Korea's Christianity has made a great contribution to social development despite its short 130-year history.

However, the Korean church now has a chance to make a greater contribution to its history, and it is the reality that it is facing the risk of everything being ruined if it goes wrong.

This is the crisis of the Korean church, but it is also the crisis of our church and the crisis of our own faith.

Last Sunday was the anniversary of the Reformation.

The spirit of the Reformation does not need to be celebrated once a year and forgotten.

The core content of the spirit of the Reformation is that reforms do not end once and have to be continued.

Today's Gospel text presents a very meaningful challenge to us in this situation.

In today's scripture, there are law scholars and Pharisees.

Jesus was gentle and broad-hearted, but he was very strict with the law scholars and Pharisees.

At times, I thought that Jesus was a little too much. He also swears, "You brood of vipers!"

The reason Jesus was so angry was that they were using religion to pursue their own gains, leading many people in the wrong way.

Yet they were trembling with hypocrisy as if they were living a holy and noble life.

Religion was no longer a means of knowing God's will and living according to it, but a means of providing them with goods, honor, and power.

They loved the tools of religion that they could just hold on to for whatever they wanted without any interest or certainty about the nature of their religion.

To them, religion was like a duck that lays golden eggs. Isn't that a form of religion that is too depraved?

By the way, what we must remember is that in the history of Judaism, the Pharisees were a very successful reform movement. It was a movement to protect the Jewish religion, which is losing its purity due to the Hellenistic culture, and to restore the sovereignty and identity of the Jewish people politically. It was formed around the 2nd century B.C. and its influence greatly expanded during the time of Jesus.

What do you think of as we read this passage of Scripture? Don't you blame them for doing these bad guys?

However, we should read in a repentant manner, thinking that the scribes and the Pharisees are like ourselves, not others.

We must read today's text with fear while guarding that our faith today is not the same as that of the Pharisees.

I think today’s scripture is quite consistent with the spirit of the Reformation. So, I will try to understand the text by connecting with the four representative slogans of the Reformation. The four slogans are:

Coram Deo (before God), Sola Scriptura (only Word), Sola Gratia (only grace), Sola Fide (only faith)

Coram Deo 

Looking at verse 5 today, it says, "Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long."

Legal scholars and Pharisees were very godly and religious, but all of that was meant to be visible to the people.

It is not “in front of God” but “in front of people.”

He speaks well. The doctrine is well established.

But their knowledge and words do not match their lives.

So Jesus said, “So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.”

In verse 23 that follows today's scripture, Jesus calls these people hypocrites. He criticizes him for being like cup and dish only clean outside and a whitewashed grave.

They pretend to be righteous on the outside, but they are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

A fake religion is a religion to be seen in humans, and a real religion is a religion in front of God.

They had a splendid outer covering of religion, but they were filled with greed, selfishness, and greed instead of the original core.

Doesn't the world think that many members of the church, including us, are similar to this one?

Sola Scriptura

The reason that the Reformation only emphasized the Word was that there were many other authorities besides the Word at that time.

Although not found in the Bible, the rules set by the church and the orders of the clergy were also considered the will of God.

Even in Jesus' day, many additional details were made to the commandments found in the Bible and forced to obey them.

“They bind heavy loads that are hard to bear and put them on others' shoulders” (4)

What does the slogan of ‘the word only’ speak?

It means that each believer must read and study God's Word directly and find God's will in it.

Many people today are shouting “the Word only,” but they are misunderstood.

They say, “I yearn for the word,” but if you look at the contents, it means attending a meeting of a minister who is good at preaching and listening to a video sermon.

In fact, the essence of “the Word only” is not as the minister teaches, but the individual's own search for the Word of God. This is the core of the spirit of the Reformation. It is to take the Bible out of the hands of the minister and the church and give it to the believers.

It is the mission of the pastor to develop believers into self-directed Bible learners.

In verse 8, it says not to like the title of Rabbi or Teacher.

It is said that there is only one teacher and you are all the same brothers and sisters. What does it mean?

We are all the same classmates. It means not to understand God's Word through someone in authority.

It is necessary for each believer to have the ability to interpret the word of God.

When someone misinterprets the Bible, it is necessary to have a form to judge it.

Protestant believers are each responsible Bible interpreters. You should understand the Bible with your own conscience and intelligence, not by others' judgment.

Beginning this week, we are to read the Bible before worship. Reading the Bible is important.

Sola Gratia

Only grace means that our existence, our salvation, is not by our credit, but by God's unfailing love.

This means that before God we are all sinners without merit.

In comparison to God's absoluteness, superiority among people is nothing. It's not just social status, but also religious knowledge or providence.

"Great grace" is the basis of absolute equality.

In verse 11, "The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."

How is this possible?

No matter how high our character, how splendid our career, and how deep our faith is, the attitude of “God, I cannot stand here without the grace of God” is most appropriate in front of God.

Sola Fide

What does “faith only” mean to us?

The most essential thing in our religious life is faith.

Faith may not be visible. It is difficult to observe (even if it is revealed, but not loudly), and it is difficult to rate it.

It is not something that can be seen by humans.

It is faith that holds in the deepest of each of us.

Even if the shell of religion disappears, faith remains in our minds. (No matter how much people persecute Christianity, there must be Christians.)

However, are we not too preoccupied with the shell of religious activity rather than the essence of faith?

Today, Korean church members spend so much time doing religious activities. Is that a life of faith or a religious act?

Why do people value the appearance of religion? What is the reason? It's because the religion that is outwardly benefits us.

Some people, like the Pharisees in today's text, use religion to make great gains.

Some people gain a sense of community belonging and peace of mind through religion. In any case, there are many people who practice religious life because they think that religion is useful in real life.

We know that faith is the most important thing, even if we don't have to address the key question, “Is it law or faith?”

The problem arises not because we don't know or confuse us, but because we know, but we don't do what we know.

Although we work hard in church activities and obey the law, if we miss out on love, the fundamental spirit of the law, it is only a skin religion. The essence of the law, says Jesus, is justice, mercy, and faithfulness.

Dear brothers and sisters, Reformation Week in 2020 was last Sunday, but I hope this year will not stop at the stage of what is considered an annual event, but will actually experience the reformation taking place again.

The Reformers created the slogan: “The reformed church must always be reformed.” (Reformata Ecclesia Semper Reformanda)

Aren't we eloquently shouting that the internal and external circumstances of our church should not be the way we are now?

Although religion as a form has many benefits to us, it is nothing compared to the grace that God will give us.

A happier life? A life entrusted to God.

I desperately wish you to break out of the envelope of religion and restore the essence of the pure and sublime Gospel by shouting the slogans of Coram Deo, Sola Scripture, Sola Gratia, Sola Fide.