2003.3.2. Calling(1) - Rev. Young Jin Cho

"Where are you?"

Genesis 3:8-21

Starting this Wednesday, all the churches around the world launch the season of Lent with the beginning of Ash Wednesday. The season of Lent is a period of forty days from Ash Wednesday through Saturday before Easter, excluding six Sundays. During this period, Christians of the world meditate on the sufferings and death of Christ, reflect on themselves and dedicate themselves to prayers. Some Roman Catholics also abstain from eating meat during this period.

Each Lent, our church has traditionally held early morning praying times while meditating on one of the Four Major Gospels. For this year we will be reflecting on the Gospel of Mark. In addition, I will give a sermon series stretched over six Sundays which focuses on God's calling of us. I will appreciate very much if you would actively participate in the prayer mornings and pray for the series of sermons in which I will review God's callings in the Old Testament and the New Testament.

I.

This morning, we have read the scripture from Genesis chapter three. This message introduces the incident when Adam and Eve take from the forbidden fruit in disobedience of God's command.

Being created in his image, God told them that they were free to eat from any tree in the Garden except the one kind of fruit that would give them knowledge of good and evil. If they violated and disobeyed, they were assured that they would surely die. However, Eve, induced by the snake, took and ate from the fruit of knowledge of good and evil. After that, she gave it to Adam to eat together. Thus they committed the sin of disobedience to God's command.

Having fallen into temptation by being induced of becoming like God, they became aware of shame and fear. They sewed skirts with fig leaves to cover their naked bodies. And they hid themselves in the forest from God. There, God called Adam. And asked: Where are you Adam?

By sharing this sermon with you, I would like to exclude issues as to whether this script of the Old Testament is scientifically correct, or why God made the fruit of knowledge of good and evil and let them fall into sin. I will avoid dealing with these questions this morning because this message does not focus on those kinds of questions. Such questions are could be posed if we were in pursuit of Greek thought. However, the Hebrew way of thought was a little different. They were aiming to describe the truth through stories. They were not interested in analysis and justification of a story. In the same that Jesus told us about the truth of heaven through parables and tales, the Hebrews were focused on revealing the truth of God through this narrative in Genesis.

Therefore, this story of Adam and Eve is not only a story for the people in antiquity, but also pertains to us to this day. This is a story of disobedience of you and me. Why this the case? Because, we are also disobeying God's commands in our lives, taking and eating the "forbidden fruits" in our lives. Thus today's scripture is not just an old story. This message is for all of us today, for you and me. It is a message for all of us.

II.

Now, let us open our hearts and ears to the message of today's scripture.

(1) First of all, I would like to emphasize the fact that God first sought and called Adam and Eve who were hiding in fear after their disobedient acts.

Adam and Eve began to feel fear and guilt after their disobedience to God's command. The relationship with God ceased to exist by their sin of disobedience. They were in fear of the possible punishments from God. However, God sought Adam and Eve. And asked Adam "where are you?" God came to them before they came to God. God called Adam and asked him "where are you?"

The God of the bible is this kind of a God. When we turn from God's will and wrongfully insist on our thoughts, how sad would God be? What would God think when we insisted that there is no God or that we are happy by ourselves without him, without the righteous knowledge about Him? Think from God's perspective. A poet said "I would have been so raged to death by now if I were God."

However, God did not give up on us, and sought us. He called and talked. Even while he expelled them from Eden, he made skin garments for them. Dear congregation, what an amazing love it is? How gracious can one be? Nothing suffices to express thankfulness for the love and grace of God. What kind of creatures would our lives be, without that love? Where would we be if not for the love?

(2) Secondly, God's question "where are you?" gives another precious message. It is a question to make us look at ourselves, to know yourself.

What is the real importance of God's question "where are you?" This is not a question about location or address of residence. It is a question pertaining to the whereabouts and features of your life. In other words, we can understand it as "look at yourself" or "know yourself."

All members in this room, where are you now? How are you living in God? You are not hiding with fear before God, are you? Do you feel fear and uneasiness of going toward God? Is there any wall blocking you and God? Can you show your life to God without shame right now?

These days, we can see so many people living without serious considerations regarding their lives. Without realizing the reason why we are living, without recognizing the most important thing, we find ourselves in a stream of daily life. I have no idea about the young generation's pop culture. However, at this point, I would like to remind you of a famous song, "Ha-sook-sang ("Temporary tenant") sung by an old school Korean singer, Choi Hee June:

Life is floating
Not knowing wherefrom, nor where to go
It's a kind of floating as a piece of cloud
Don't give your heart, don't have any resent
Life is floating
Floating aimlessly as river flows

Everyone, is it true that life is floating as a piece of cloud? Is it flowing aimlessly as a river does? Do you really think that life is only about existence without knowing where to go?

They say you are in your forties when you begin to ask yourself the meaning of life. Nonetheless, if you begin to think about the real meaning of life at this age, it is too late, isn't it? Moreover, there are even some who have never given serious consideration about these issues in their fifties or sixties. I feel so sorry for them. What are you going to do with your life?

The threat of death awakens us from the illusion that we may live forever. We can see many cases where a person realizes the purpose of life when he feels close to death. Alfred Nobel, the founder of the Nobel foundation, was one of such people. In one morning in 1882, he had a surprising experience. Famous and rich by virtue of his invention of the dynamite, he was so astonished at a newspaper article in his hotel room during his trip to France. There was headline news entitled "Alfred Nobel passed away last night ". The newspaper mistook his brother's death for his.

Alfred Nobel was shocked deeply at this news. He cancelled every appointment and meditated all day long in the room. He realized that his fame as the inventor of the dynamite and his wealth was nothing but a bubble if he died at once. And he already saw many tragedies of wounded or dead people by his invention. Therefore, he determined to donate all of his assets to award people who dedicated themselves for the better of the world. This was the beginning of the Nobel Prize.

You don't have to go to the degree of establishing the Nobel Prize. You don't need to be near death either. If you can be awake by God's voice asking you "where are you?" your life will be changed. I would like to remind you of Pascal's words that "there are many people studying Geometry, but not many are studying life." There are many studying Engineering, Computer engineering, Economics or Management. However, how many people are studying life? This morning, God is asking everyone of us: Where are you? Look at yourself. Know yourself. Reflect upon your life.

(3) The third thing I would like to say is this. By asking "where are you?" God gives us his strong wish.

Everyone, where is your road for your life? Where can we find the true image of our lives? What is the real image of my road, my life? Where can I find the answer to the question? The key is to returning to God. The key is to standing firm in God's words. In Christ, we can go beyond the wall of disobedience and disinterest blocking us from God.

Everyone, why is this true? Why can we find the answer only when we return to God? It's because God created us. We are not prompted out inadvertently. It is not easy to understand the meaning behind an abstract painting. Who will be the right person to ask if we are trying to figure out the meaning of the painting? The painter is the right person to be asked. He can best explain why he drew the painting, what was the meaning behind the painting. In the same way, if we want to know about why we live, how we are to live, the best way is to return to God who created us. When we stand in God's words, we can find purpose and road for our lives.

Therefore, God is calling us. He is seeking our lives. He is inviting us to return to real life, true life. I would like to read to you the lyrics of Hymn 317, in which the writer beautifully expressed God's love that calls us to return. Pastor Jun Young-Taek wrote the poem. It renews us every time we sing it, reminding us of God's calling and His awaiting us.

O, come home, don't delay! Only come back home today!
Can our sins however great, However stark and grave
Prove more than Jesus can carry Who came to seek and sake?
Broader far is Jesus' ample breast Than is heaven, from East to west!

O, come home, don't delay! Only come back home today!
For our savior everyday, Stands waiting there for you,
And nightly, door standing open, He waits the darkness through;
For His child's return, who's gone away, Still He's waiting, oh, don't delay!

O, come home, don't delay! Only come back home today!
Though the Lord chastise with pain, Though heavy seem His hand,
He wounds and gives the healing, Consoles and makes to stand,
Our Lord spreads wide His arms for you; Do come quickly! Come home; oh, do!

God is asking "where are you" and is waiting on us to return. He wants us to reflect on ourselves, realize and return to Him. He is still asking me and us this morning: "where are you?"

III.

The God of the bible is this kind of a God. The God we believe in is like that. He is asking us this morning: "where are you?" He never gives up on us even though our lives may be in shambles, even if you have walked astray and refused God's amazing love for you, he is still calling you. He is asking you to reflect on yourself where your life is now, and how you are living your life. And he is calling you to return, to return to him.

A survivor of 9-11 said: "in English, the words for "now" and for "gift" are both "Present". That is, present as now is just the present of God as a gift. God asks everyone this morning. He asks "where are you?" Everyone, where are you now? How are you living now? God calls you. He calls you to return, right now. Your lord of grace calls you to return, right now.