2026년 10월 11일 주일 예배 임 정욱 목사

Preacher: Pastor Jung Wook

Date: 2026-10-12

Two years ago, our church, Bank, visited the Gima Church and had a very good time. Our members, including the children, expressed their desire to go back to that church. I think if the people living nearby come to this church once, they might want to come back again. [Clears throat] As we live alongside our neighbors, we sometimes invite them to our homes, and at other times, we are invited ourselves. How glorious it would be if someone I respect, someone who believes freely, or an elder were to invite me! When I was serving as a pastor in Buyeo, Korea, back in the 1980s, President Roh Tae-woo sent me a card. What kind of card was it? It was a New Year’s greeting card. I wondered how such a small church could receive it without a name, but then I realized I had once sent a petition to the Blue House. I had been wronged, and at that time, if it was under 5 million won, I could file a lawsuit, so I sent it, and I received a reply right away. So, it was resolved. I don't particularly like Roh Tae-woo, but I felt that God’s heart was really good. Jesus invites all who are weary and burdened to come to Him. The Lord has called us, and that’s why we are here today. Do you feel excited, joyful, and thankful to be here? No? Amen. If you say no, I’m surprised. If that’s the case, if there is no gratitude, joy, or excitement, then have I truly been called by Jesus? Has Jesus measured me? I think we should reflect on this once again. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened." There is no discrimination in this invitation. This is because Jesus' invitation contains God's love. It is not a human calling; it is an invitation for everyone to become a child of God.

As I reflect on this invitation, Jesus specifically says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened." So, who are the weary and burdened? I thought about this. First, the weary are those who work hard out of their own joy and happiness but face difficulties, receive criticism, or experience hatred. Another type of heavy burden is the passive burden imposed on us by someone else, by our environment, or by certain conditions. These are the people who suffer due to difficult and painful situations. There were many such people in Palestine when Jesus came. If you read the four Gospels, you will see that there were many who were burdened in various ways. The people of Israel were those who believed in God. During their 40 years in the wilderness, their character was not noble. The Israelites were often quick-tempered, and when something displeased them, they would strike Moses or create a golden calf. To save their lives, God gave them the law: "Live by this law." About 2 million people lived entangled with one another, and even after witnessing the parting of the Red Sea, they complained about the lack of water, saying, "Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness?" They grumbled against Moses. The law given to save their lives was later misinterpreted by the Pharisees, who imposed heavy burdens on the people of Israel. "Do this. Keep that. If you keep this, then keep that." They added many difficult interpretations to the law. Judaism was not a religion that set people free; rather, it became a religion that oppressed people and continually imposed heavy burdens. It was in this context that Jesus came. Jesus came and said, "I will set you free." The words I testify to you are not meant to weigh you down or make you suffer; rather, they are meant to lift your burdens. The God you believe in is not a terrifying God. He is not a punishing God. The God you believe in is a God of love. He taught this and spoke of a caring God. So, when He came to that land, there were many who were burdened, especially with various diseases.

In the Gospels, we see that many people who followed Jesus were suffering from diseases. Many were following Him out of hunger. There were many who were afflicted with various diseases, and on top of that, under Roman rule, they were poor. Although they were fellow Jews, tax collectors were appointed to collect taxes for Rome, taking a cut for themselves. The Jews despised tax collectors. Even though there were disciples of Jesus among them, many were struggling under these burdens. When Jesus came to this earth, He proclaimed, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven," teaching and preaching the Gospel. "You are children of God. The kingdom of God belongs to you." He healed many sick people and even raised the dead, liberating them from physical oppression. So, in the first verse today, He invites all who are weary and burdened to come to Him. He personally lifts the burdens that cause suffering. That is the essence of this message.

Why do I and you long for the church, the body of Christ? I was born into a family of elders, and after several decades, I find that the church is the only place where I can truly belong. About 30 years ago, I came to a cold place called Unitech in Canada. I wasn't invited; the church that invited me fell apart when I received a call. I ended up in Unitech, where there were about five people, three families. A pastor had started a church there, but it was tough, so he just divided the congregation and left. A pastor I knew asked me to go there and take care of them for a couple of weeks to prevent them from scattering. There was an elderly deaconess who held onto me tightly. I was waiting to go back to a big church where I could preach again, and I prayed quietly. I thought, "Could it be that God is sending me to Canada?" I had seen many big churches in Korea, so I thought, "Ah, they need me here." But it didn't work out. My wife was in Toronto, and we had brought our belongings with us when we immigrated. We were told not to unpack them, just to bring them in whole. But when I got there, I realized that many people were living with heavy burdens. I thought that immigration would be easy and good, but they were suffering a lot. It was cold there too. In winter, it could drop to minus 3 degrees, and during the day, it rarely went above minus 23 degrees for over a month. From October to April, it would snow continuously. I realized that those who ran small businesses there were truly living with heavy burdens. Without a sense of mission, they couldn't endure. I found them very admirable. But those of us living with heavy burdens often don't know where to place those burdens when we receive God's invitation. Once we start to wander, we can completely lose our way. But when they come before God to worship, as we sang today, it’s not just singing; the praise enters into me. This praise brings me joy and strength, and because it glorifies God, I find myself tearing up whenever I come to church. When they look back at their lives, it is incredibly difficult and painful. But that’s not all. Our lives are also constantly shackled by our sins and the guilt of our sins. That’s why I struggled to attend church. When I first went there, ministry was so hard and difficult that I thought, "Maybe I should give this up. Maybe God doesn't want me here." I even considered quitting. I thought, "What can I do? I have nothing." But I could drive well, so I thought maybe I could find a job driving. At that time, my English was not good. Even knowing that, I continued to carry the burden of being a pastor. I saw the joy, but I was also weighed down by that burden. I knew I should love, but I couldn't, and those feelings tormented me greatly. If that were the case, there might be some selfish thoughts in you as well. You might think that there’s nothing wrong here, but there are times when we focus on being cared for rather than caring for our neighbors. Sometimes, as parents, we experience pain because of our children. Once children grow up, they often see their parents as burdens. Are there only elders and my son-in-law and daughter here today? That burden can be very heavy. As I have become a senior pastor and left that church, it is common for senior pastors to be told to stay at least 50 miles away. I was going to do that too. But when my family left, it became very difficult for the new pastor. The pastor who came to our church was a former associate pastor who had left a large church due to the denomination's decision on homosexuality. He came to find me without hesitation. I said, "Okay, let’s pray about it." After a month of prayer, he started pastoring there. One day, my eldest daughter said, "Dad, I feel heavy and sad because of you and mom." I asked why. She said, "I know your personality, and even if you don’t say anything at church, I wonder what you might be thinking." So, I was joyful and happy serving, but she kept asking why she had to serve so much. I was shocked to hear that. "Oh, was I like that?" But I thought, "If I’m not careful, I might end up being selfish." You shouldn’t be like that. So, I decided to refocus my heart and not say a word about that pastor. I didn’t say anything about his ministry either; I just became a worshiping member. It felt so good. After retiring, going to church felt so light. When I stood in the back and sang, I felt tears welling up. After retiring, I realized how heavy the burdens I had carried were. Are you feeling heavy right now? Is attending church a duty for you? Did you come here out of obligation? You came because you wanted to, right? If you come out of obligation due to your position, how can there be joy or gratitude in worship? When you pray like that, will your prayers be answered? No. It should be joyful and thankful. I only realized this after retiring. I had attended church my whole life, but I never knew it could feel this light. I felt so joyful, and when I sang, my heart raced. I wondered if my congregation felt the same joy. I thought about it a lot. After retiring, I felt like I was processing everything. In marriage, sometimes we think, "Oh, my husband is such a burden." Here, since the wife is always there, she carries many heavy burdens too. Sometimes, losing a job or struggling at work adds to the burdens of survival. Ministry is the same. Ministry is not just about the church God established; when you keep thinking about numbers, it becomes a burden for the pastor. When I started my church, I had about 50 or 60 members, and when someone from a large church in Seoul came to visit, they would always say something like, "Pastor, how will this church grow?" I would get really angry. In immigrant life, 50 members is like 500. When I had about 100 members, I was doing all the work. Our pastor started as a slave when he came here and has been working hard ever since; he is truly remarkable. I also wonder if my life has value. Is this really right? The question of the meaning of life continues to linger within me. Most people carry such burdens. So, what is the way to live with these burdens? You all know it. How can we lighten these burdens? We confess like this: "Jesus, even now, there is a part of me that does not believe in You." The values of the world still reside within me. Success, fame, and honor from the world still fill me. I suffer from the memories of my past successes or the hard work I did in the past. I also carry sins that I cannot reveal to others, which torment my soul. When you go to church and feel frustrated, check if you have such feelings. When you bring those before the Lord and confess them, that is when you will truly be set free. That is when praise will come forth, and that is when "Hallelujah" will truly come out. I think habitual churchgoers are also important. Coming with your eyes is very important. However, if you cannot experience true joy, then believing in Jesus is truly... think about it. If someone slaps you on the right cheek, can you turn the other cheek? You would want to sue, right? If someone hits you, you would want to sue them. Do you think Jesus told us to turn the other cheek because He thought we could do it? He knew we couldn’t, but He said it for a reason. I believe that reason is, "Do you want to live in heaven? Then do this." Heaven is like that. You might think, "I don’t know if I can do that." Friends, when you bring those suppressed feelings before the Lord and confess them, that is where true healing begins. The rest starts from there.

People in the world also have all the problems we experience. But the difference between us and them is that they know how to respond to the Lord's invitation. Isn’t it strange? Even though they live together, one person responds to the invitation and goes to church, while the other refuses to go no matter how much they are asked. What’s the difference? There isn’t much. They carry the same worries and just struggle through life. So, what comes out of that? Alcohol, entertainment, and escapism. They want to escape from all the pain and despair, so they drink, play, gamble, and use drugs. And when that wears off, they are left with even greater despair, pain, and suffering. This is the lifestyle of those who cannot accept Jesus’ invitation. We should have compassion for such people. What about us? We are those who have been invited by Jesus. Worship should not be an obligation. You shouldn’t come to church just because you have to. You should come because you want to. Worship is not an obligation; it is a right. It is the right of those who have been invited, the right of children of God. And it is a privilege. You should enjoy that privilege. Yes, when a son asks his father for something, does he ask out of obligation? No, he asks out of privilege. Even if the child is doing well, the father still wants to give more. Mothers want to take care of their children, making kimchi and sharing food. My wife says that they are doing well together. When I confess and participate, Jesus and God promise us life and the flow of blessings. I remember the time I received that promise. During difficult times, I remember that I repented a lot. I spent about four and a half days repenting. How could I have so many sins? I was born into a church-going family, yet how could I have so many sins in high school? I was overwhelmed by the sins I didn’t even know I had. I knelt in front of a small church and prayed, and as I was tormented by my sins, I rolled around, and the Holy Spirit must have had compassion on me because I began to confess sins I didn’t even know I had. That place was filled with sorrow, and my tears soaked the ground. But that morning, the Holy Spirit touched me, and I felt immense joy, excitement, and exhilaration. When I opened the church door to leave, I saw the flowers by the roadside and realized, "Oh, those were made by God." I couldn’t contain my joy. That joy and excitement have carried me through difficult times. So, when Jesus says, "I will give you rest," I think of it as the forgiveness of sins. That is rest. Healing from our wounds is also rest. "I will give you rest." What is in that promise? When we have the assurance of healing from our wounds and forgiveness of our sins, what do we have inside? Joy, peace, and overflowing gratitude. The joy and gratitude that God gives me are freedom from sin and liberation from the fear of life ahead. So, even after becoming a pastor, I never thought about looking for a good church. I chose to live in difficult and challenging churches, not opting for the best but settling for the second best. People in the world say I have the right to choose the best, but I believe that the best people go to the best places, and I am left with the second best. I think this is the strength that Jesus gives me. But if I misunderstand this, I might think that this strength is to escape from the world. When there are problems in the church, people run away. When the church is building, everyone runs away from Korea. I have seen many people like that. They think, "I need to rest." But resting doesn’t mean escaping to a remote place. It means facing the harsh realities of the world. I mentioned at the beginning that after retiring, I thought I would let everything go and live comfortably. I didn’t go out much, just exercised a little, and after about three or four years, I realized I was avoiding reality. But then our pastor came to me and said, "Thank you for your previous sermons." He also had parents in Korea, so he would go back two or three times a year for about three weeks. He would say, "Pastor, I had a great time." They pulled me out of my escape. They told me not to run away but to face the challenges boldly. So, in today’s verses, Jesus says, "I am gentle and humble in heart. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, and you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light." He promises us rest while encouraging us to live actively. Live an active life. What does He say? "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me." Where can we learn Jesus’ yoke? You can learn it in church, everyone. You can learn it from the Bible. But the strength Jesus gives is different. It is not a rest that comes from running away from burdens; rather, it starts from taking on Jesus’ yoke. Jesus says, "My burden is easy and light." The burden that Jesus gives is not oppressive. Rather, it liberates me and forgives my sins. Therefore, He says, "Take my yoke and learn from me. My yoke is easy and light." You must not seek strength by running away. What do you think? "I want to build a vacation home in the mountains or by the sea." Is that a grave you are going to? Absolutely don’t do that. If you are living under the burden of your father, and it feels too heavy and difficult, will you take off that burden? How about you? Ah, no one is answering. I heard that over there, they said they wouldn’t take it off. Mothers carry heavy burdens too. I truly believe that women are doing incredibly well while living as immigrants. The idea of male superiority in Korea is a lie. There is no such thing. Both men and women have to work equally, do the dishes together, and share meals. It’s wonderful. But women still have it tough. They have to work in stores, manage the household, and take care of grandchildren. When we take care of our grandchildren, my wife often feels overwhelmed. If a husband thinks, "I don’t get along with my wife, and our personalities clash," will he just throw off that burden? What about the wife? I don’t think she will die quickly. Right? No. A husband loves his wife, and a wife respects and cherishes her husband. That is the burden we carry. When we carry that burden, our family is at peace. Who? Because we take on Jesus’ yoke. There is no middle ground. It’s about whether you gain strength or not. You shouldn’t live seeking rest from the world. We should not take on the yoke that oppresses us and live according to the teachings of the world. The standards of success in the world must change. Our values must change. Our perspective on people must change. We must see everyone as lovable. But that doesn’t mean you can just look at any woman and say, "I love you to death." That love is different. But love is one. It is God’s love. The love that frees humanity, gives life, and brings complete joy is the yoke of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ words say, "My burden is light. I have borne that burden for you." Do you know what the last yoke Jesus bore was? The cross on Golgotha. That is Jesus’ gentleness and humility. If we understand this, when we seek strength, we don’t throw off all burdens; we replace them with Jesus’ yoke. Yes, in the past, I carried the yoke of the world for 70 or 80 years, but now I take on Jesus’ yoke. If we carry the yoke of the world, it becomes a burden in the church as well. When we take on Jesus’ yoke, true peace and joy will spring up from our hearts, and that beautiful and loving heart will overflow. Yes, we must live with the yoke of forgiveness, not the yoke of sin. When we take on the yoke of forgiveness, we can turn the other cheek. We can go the extra mile. At that time, we can possess it. Instead of the worries and burdens we currently carry, we should be filled with the peace and comfort that Jesus gives. So, what will appear on our faces? We will smile, and others will think, "That person goes to church; they must be crazy." It should be to that extent. But I know I look a bit rough and tired. Even if I smile, I might not look great. But the joy that comes from God is something that cannot be resolved by anything in this world. Yes, I am truly grateful for that. The joy of peace is not something I enjoy; it is the overwhelming joy of the Holy Spirit that holds me. That is why I come. In Psalm 55:22, it says, "Cast your burden on the Lord." In Psalm 68:19, it says, "Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens." There is no one who has suffered and lived as much as David. Everyone, give all your honor to God, confess everything, and carry the burden that Jesus gives you. May you enjoy the rest that God provides for the rest of your life. I bless you in the name of the Lord. Amen. Let us pray.