Youth Sermon by Pastor Yong-Doo Kim Prayer warfare - 18 th of April Samuel 2:1-10 New International Version (NIV) Hannah s Prayer

Transcription

1 Youth Sermon by Pastor Yong-Doo Kim Prayer warfare - 18 th of April 2011 Sermon link: 1 Samuel 2:1-10 Hannah s Prayer 2 Then Hannah prayed and said: My heart rejoices in the LORD; in the LORD my horn [a] is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance. 2 There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. 3 Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed. 4 The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength. 5 Those who were full hire themselves out for food, but those who were hungry are hungry no more. She who was barren has borne seven children, but she who has had many sons pines away. 6 The LORD brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up. 7 The LORD sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts. 8 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. For the foundations of the earth are the LORD s; on them he has set the world. 9 He will guard the feet of his faithful servants, but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness. It is not by strength that one prevails; 10 those who oppose the LORD will be broken. The Most High will thunder from heaven; the LORD will judge the ends of the earth. He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.

2 Footnotes: a. 1 Samuel 2:1 Horn here symbolizes strength; also in verse 10. / Hallelujah! Now, the reason as to why it is possible for us to even try to overcome tribulations is because during the fight there will be a U-turn in our circumstances. That is why we gain faith to overcome such tribulations. Hallelujah? Now, Hannah, who was barren, said the reason for her barrenness was because God did not allow her to become pregnant. Yes, God made her body as one which was not able to have children and it was this body which Hannah entered this world with. Hannah did know that she had a problem with her body until she got married. All of us may believe in Jesus and live Christian lives and believe that all our faith is alive. However, there will be tests that are given to us which will test this faith of ours by allowing us to meet certain circumstances and tribulations. Hallelujah? In Psalms chapter 42 verse 3 it says that Psalm 42 3 My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, Where is your God? How much stress would one have to receive from tribulations for one s tears to become one s food? Everyone will have his or her tribulations that will cause this kind of pain. The tribulation can be big or small we are all exposed to them. However, when does faith appear? It is when we face the hardest tribulations. That is when faith will appear. In Hebrews chapter 11 it says that Hebrews 11

3 1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. So what is it to look forward to something? It is to have faith. True faith is created when we seek for something that we cannot hope for, but it is given later. Hallelujah? Now, that is why I think God created Hannah barren because this is one of the most severe disabilities that a woman can have. In Samuel chapter 1 verse 5 its says that 1 Samuel 1:5 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the LORD had closed her womb. Now, God has given to all people in this world an equal right to enjoy His blessings. However, those blessings are basic. However, at times God may not allow us to enjoy those blessings. Sometimes we are sometimes not given this freedom and are put in to harsher environments. We can even become socially disabled. Now, when we become socially disabled how should we accept this reality? This is very important. However, when God creates such circumstances they sometimes become proof for our ability to be changed. Hallelujah! So, because my faith do not appear regularly I think God constantly drives me on. God would ask us this question. I have something to request from you. What should I do so that you will demonstrate real faith? Because you cannot meet me easily I want to remember you as a person of unique faith. Then we of course should respond by doing a deed of faith don t we? However creative faith does not simply appear but it appears commonly when circumstances are very harsh and difficult. Everyone, if you act before you think you will have to pay the price for what you did. There will be many side effects. Through one s actions his or her family and relatives can face many difficulties. Well, today after I and my pastor friends came back from the Philippines I received a lot of calls from many places. When I was learning theology we prayed together thinking that everyone was going to become pastors. However, now I realized that this has not been the case. Well anyways, when we are born with social difficulties this means that there is something that God is requesting from us. Today, for Hannah, God wanted her to demonstrate some kind of rebellion. It was not because God s abilities are insufficient that we are put in to circumstances that we do not want to be in but it is because God wants

4 to bless us. Hallelujah! Let s say this together. We are put in to unfavorable circumstances so that we can be blessed more. So if you look things in a different perspective, hardships can be seen as good things. Another thing is if we are to acquire the abilities of God we have to be able to make use of every hardship we face. It is important that we make use of the variables that exist when we face hardships. When I was in Hawaii we were able to see several people surfing while traveling in a car. There is a place in Hawaii where the waves are very rough and people around the world come to this place to ride them. In that time I met a disabled person and I asked him why he was in the state he was in now. His response was that he became disabled after slamming his head to the water while surfing. He said that his entire body became paralyzed after the accident and had barely escaped death. Now, some people were surfing amazingly well. There were men, women, children and even the elderly who were surfing. I thought to myself while watching them surf, Wow, I would love to surf now as well only if I was not here for a revival. I love those kinds of thing you know. But, because the sea water was so blue and scary I was not able to go in. So, because I was not able to go near the water I with my wife secretly went to the sea at about 4 am in the morning after the revival. As we did come to Hawaii we thought it would be such a waste to miss the opportunity to enjoy its waters. I thought it would be a good idea to at least dunk my feet in the salty water so my feet which were infected with athlete foot disease will become well. Anyways, when the wave comes there are some who ride the waves and others who die because they are swallowed up by them. Everyone, whether it be regarding spiritual, prayer and even tribulations they have a flow like the waves I have mentioned. Remember that at critical moments there are some who rides those waves and those who die from them. I believe that the salvation that has been given to God s people is not a simple salvation but a salvation that has a greater and deeper meaning. It may seem that salvation is passed down through the males. However, salvation has been passed down the females. There were five women that were not able to give birth naturally in that line. There was Mary who became impregnated by the Holy Spirit. But as Mary became pregnant before she knew Joseph this became very problematic as it is said that Joseph thought about leaving her while remaining her pregnancy a secret. Now including Mary there were Bathsheba, Rahab the prostitute, Tamar the wife of Judah and Ruth. All these women were like Hannah. But how did these women enter the family tree of Jesus Christ? They entered it by the grace of God. So what is the grace of God? It is something that is given through one s faith. Hallelujah? So among the women there were those who were even infertile. Men who would never have been born were born through the faith of their infertile mothers. Sarah was a key woman of this category who bore a child through the power of God. Samson s mother as well, the wife of Manoach also bore Samson through the power of God. Even Elizabeth bore John the Baptist through the grace of God. So what are these people? There were great people who maintained the grace of God in their lives. Let s say this together. We have to conceive through prayer. Hallelujah? It is important to conceive through prayer. In the 66 books of the bible it was Hannah who gave birth through the power of God most mightily. Hannah didn t simply pray but wailed to God. Why did Hannah wail to God? It is because Hannah had a rival Peninnah who constantly provoked and irritated her.

5 Well, if you want to express her situation in today s view we can say that she might have commit suicide because she cannot bear children. Hannah was ridiculed and mocked by those women who were able to bare children. Look at verses 5 and 6. But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the LORD had closed her womb. Because the LORD had closed Hannah s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. If I don t make a decision to do something spiritually. If I don t make a resolution before God. My circumstances will constantly control me. They will control our lives even without our knowledge. Then we will have to make a choice either to go towards the grace of God or towards the works of Satan. That choice is up to us. If we make the wrong choice we might as well be dead right? Say although you would not have any more wishes if you had at least one child God tells us that you will not only have one but seven children. But there is a condition before you will be able to bare the seven children. You will be controlled by your circumstances but you will have to make a choice spiritually and pray to God with wailing. God will give us this condition. Although God does not tell this to Hannah, she was caused to constantly make resolutions. In every moment of our lives we think of many things. We have to make many decisions on the things we think of, things we make our minds on, things we do and the things we say. And if we make a decision we have to take responsibility for it. Wrong decisions have its consequences. So how does Hannah start? We have to pray. Although we may pray all day we need to say to ourselves tomorrow I should pray afresh. I should try applying a new method of prayer. Today I should wail while I pray. All these are choices we can make. Hallelujah. If we choose to do something we need to concentrate on achieving that goal. This is fundamental. God wants to give us a very good present but He will never give this present for no reason. The process is very difficult. For Hannah she had to go through a very difficult torment. During her conflict she knew that she had to do something but didn t know what she actually had to do. So she was in agony. What is agony? It s something one has if one knows he or she needs to do something but has no idea what. One starts to be in agony when one cannot see the way forward. What is it that I have to do so God will work in my life? Now, this may seem opinionated and obscure but it is a true that all things can be achieved through prayer. Hallelujah! Now, Hannah s husband Elkanah was a chief priest. It was wrong of him to have two wives. It was not spiritual and faithful thing to do. I think because Hannah was not able to bare any children Elkanah got a second wife. He was a Levite and close to the priesthood. The motive for Hannah to pray was because she couldn t have children. We pray more if there are people around us who mock and laugh at us. Like Hannah I can be seen to be in that situation as I am too being called a cult by some people. Hallelujah. I myself start to be in agony and be concerned. I don t know why people who didn t even visit heaven and hell denounce me. Everyone, there are times when we have to believe academically but there are times when we cannot do everything academically. Our lives are very complicated. Hallelujah. Is that a person of God or the devil? In 1 John it says that 1 John 4:2

6 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, However, we found out that the demons already acknowledge that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. We discovered this truth while we were doing our ministry. There is a great difference between the context of today and the past. The devil is a lot more superior intellectually. So now we cannot use that method in order to discern a spirit. The demons have become so diverse and intellectually superior that now we cannot even theoretically say whether certain things are correct or wrong. God wants to give us the best gift to us but we will receive them when we are in a big crisis. This is the double-sidedness of the Christian faith. This also goes for salvation. Salvation has its double-sidedness. But people usually only talk about one side of salvation. Many simply say Because I believe in Jesus Amen, I will go to heaven Amen. Just because one goes to church does not mean he or she will go to heaven. There were many times when Jesus talked about the both sides of something. After calling everyone and talking about the word of God He talked about the important things. Although salvation is very theoretical Jesus talked deeply about it. After listening to Jesus everyone left Him because the things He said were difficult to accept. He told them that if they had to die to themselves and hold their own cross daily, love Him more than anyone else. So everyone deserted Him. We must be aware of the two-sidedness that coexist. Let s say this together. In hardships there are blessings. Hallelujah. What is the best present? It is the power of God that is hidden in our hardships and tribulations. Now if people believe that there is nothing that is impossible they will pray. Hallelujah? But if the people believe that even with prayer some things are impossible then they will be limited in their prayers. Because the devil knows this fact he bothers and picks on you, create obstacles, give you tests through the people near you and give you scars. Although we pray till death there is no way that we will not be answered because the devil knows about this he will not let you pray. In Philippines last week when I was teaching a sermon it seemed as if I was talking to a wall. They did not even say any Amens because they were too embarrassed to say it. So someone had to start saying the Amens for them. So I even divided the congregation in to three teams and told them Okay the ones who can say Amen the loudest will go to heaven faster. (A loud Amen is heard from the audience). However, that person needs to go back there quickly. Haha, it seems as though the rest of you do not wish to pass away. Anyways, I trained the congregation well with plenty of Amens and Hallelujahs. But the moment I started my sermon nobody said a single amen again. Hallelujah I would cry. And then the congregation seemed to respond with Hmm, does that mean it s time for me to play dead? I even fed them lunches while I trained them to shout the Amens and Hallelujahs. The Lord was next to us seeing everything that was happening. The director and pastor Hose and his wife along with the missionary who translated for

7 us were the ones who shouted the Amens and the Hallelujahs most powerfully and their spiritual eyes were opened then. They were able to see God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the angels. Hallelujah? Haha, wow, only after telling you this I am starting to hear the Amens. I know how your thinking processes work now. You all might as well be businessmen. Let s say this together. I am a businessman. If you look at a different angle Hannah can be seen to be making a deal of blessing. Because she had the belief that there is nothing impossible with prayer she kept on pressing on God. Hannah says why God answered her was because she sought Him. In chapter 2 verse 20 it says that 1 Samuel 1:20 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, A man of prayer is not easily born. Children who were born to lead the country are those who have were born in painful and difficult circumstances. It is through the prayers that a person of faith is born. All that is left is for that person to be spiritually nurtured. Hannah s prayers were composed of wails and tears. The Lord helps us though methods that are unimaginable. God will discriminate us. Look at Joseph, he was thrown in to a well and even sold as a slave by his brothers. God works through methods that are unique, fresh and appropriate for each and every one of us. Hallelujah? When Christians meet hardships we usually do not do what God wants us to do. God always wants us to have new experiences. My Pastor colleagues recently became Baptize by blazing fire manias. They acted as if the book came out recently although it came out in One Pastor even called me saying Wow, Pastor Kim! How could our church think of kicking you out? We lost a great man. Pastor, I even read your book while I am using the toilet, while I am eating and while I am sleeping as well. Well I went to that church to do a sermon last time. But while I was waiting I saw the deacon and the deaconess arguing with the pastor with 20 sheets of printed information from the internet against me. After hearing this for a bit I came to them and told them that they had to hear both sides of the story. If you go to the internet you will find a lot of places saying that I am so and so, I lead like a religious sect leader and so and so. Everyone, I never was in to cult. Some have started saying that I am cultish but this has developed to a stronger statement of me being directly a cult. Some have even accused me of taking part in occult. So in that church which had about 10 or more members the leaders all left when I was about to do my sermon. Everyone, what could be done now? Because the leaders have left the church, rumors will spread that wherever I go there are problems. But this is common. In Matthew Chapter 3 it says that Matthew 3:11-12

8 11 I baptize you with [b] water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with [c] the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire. Even in church there are two opposing forces. There are many times when the pastors don t know who the real congregation members are. Many may say that those who pay the tithes for churches to be established are the members but this is not true. A real church is where they have spiritual people who can win against the powers of opulence. It is not important whether congregation members leave or not. At times when you pastor in some area the church that you establish there may close down. Spiritual people and non-spiritual people have a great quality difference. When Jesus came all the fakes were revealed. Who were the fakes? They were the Pharisees and Sadducees. Because they made the temple to a market Jesus made a whip and kicked the merchants out. What do think will happen if the Lord came to the churches of Korea? Do you think He will come and say I love you? No, he won t. Not all pastors do this but many fight among themselves. Unless some of them have evangelized in harsh and hostile conditions relentlessly I believe that many of them will be punished by God. Some churches have verses about prayer on their walls but most of them do not pray. Some churches even have red crosses lighted up all night although there is no prayer rallies being done. So how would Jesus think of all this. Even if the Lord tries to give them power He will not be able to because they cannot receive them. We have to be the special type of bowls that can receive the special powers of God. Hallelujah? Lord please give me a chance. Please give me a chance to receive your blessings! Please give me a chance to receive your power. If you want to receive that power you will have to either prayer every day or prepare to overcome your tribulations till death. Hallelujah? This is not something that is done in a few days. It is not something that is examined by God in a year. I don t think people understand this very well. Everyone, the more hardships you meet the more spiritual events of blessing there will be. Hallelujah? Now God changes our circumstances. Our circumstances can change from being comfortable to being hard instantly so we need to quickly kneel before God. So it is then up to whether the Christians can make a U-turn in their circumstances from bad to good. Hannah as a woman who cannot bear children could only be weaker to the women who could bear many children such as Peninnah. I was very shocked at my revival meeting in Philippines. We were worshipping and there was a woman who breastfed her child with her breasts exposed. She was even seating in the front seat. I didn t see but you know that my eyes are small and sharp. My eyes are so sharp that if a person is exercising then

9 my eyes automatically captures the form of that s person. Another thing that shocked me was that they got married so young. They usually married when they reach the age of seventeen. I don t understand why they marry so quickly. Pastor Hose himself was about 40 something years old. Well, he had a very old daughter. After calculation which my wife did I found out that he married when he was 17. It seems as though there are many accidents that happen. Hannah only held on to God although she met tribulations. Hallelujah. She lasted a long time and constantly prayed to God. Remember that if one bares one child it is likely that she will bare more. How can a son of prayer be born just like that? The mockery of Hannah s rival Peninnah was very useful. Let s say this together. Tribulations are useful to us. Hallelujah? Although circumstances may become bad this will make someone to pray and discover new things about God. Hallelujah? God makes churches grow through prayer and the word of God but not through marketing strategies that companies employ. Hallelujah? God can solve all out problems through prayer. God can lower us and lift us. Pancakes are also flipped to another side when it is not cooked. You don t get fruits from a tree when you chop it down but you get it when God transforms the tree so that it is filled with fruits first. After the tree bares its first fruit then the tree will bare more fruits in the future. The first time I got my prayers answered was when I was 15 or 16 years old. I graduated from secondary school and worked in factories. I went to church when one of my older brothers told me to go there. He was one of the teachers there in the church. As a teenager I did not want to go to church. But I was scared of my brother who had a very rough personality so I went. He would go Shhhh as he grinds his teeth if I refuse to obey him. I don t know whether he repented about that. Because I know his temper and I really never was disobedient towards my older brothers. Did I ever disobey you pastor? There wasn t any right? Well, my brother did a lot of business but he never gave me a part of his profits. I did not receive any pocket money from him either. He would only give me some when I ran out of money for transportation. Well, we pray that the Holy fire will be able to be imparted without having to hold out our hands and that people will be able to experience heaven and hell and have their spiritual eyes opened without having to fall down backwards. That is why we prayed like that. Hallelujah? What is there that Jesus cannot do? Our Lord works in our lives regardless of the method we pray to. Hallelujah! Please recover by putting the word of God, praise, prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit as your top priority. Hallelujah? When God starts to change your circumstances he changes everything. The Lord works according to our prayers. God gives grace to Hannah. The promise of receiving an answer from God exists for us. Let s say this together. The promise of receiving an answer from God exists for us. Hallelujah? The more you make the word of God yours God will work in you. The power of the word of God will not come to us if we do not make the word of God yours. The many promises of God that are written want the owner to obtain them. However, the people who are supposed to obtain them may have not have been assertive enough for them, that is to declare them as theirs. As you go spiritually deeper you will be praying deeper as well. Hallelujah? God sometimes has to put some people in to tribulations so that they will produce fruits. It was the desire of Hannah to have at least one child God but God had a different will. It was to give Israel a great spiritual

10 leader. There were great differences between the thoughts of God and Hannah. God wanted a servant whose words of prophecies were always fulfilled and He allowed the servant to enter the world through a woman who was in difficult circumstances. This was the will of God. I hope that you will believe that whatever you pray for will be answered. Translated by Jang Keun (John) Chung 14 th of September, 2012