MOOROOLBARK UNITING CHURCH (10 May 2026, 10:00 am)

Sermon     ‘STAND BY US’

First of all, I’d like to thank you for supporting Jackson, one of MUC members, to
join the contextual learning group to South Korea last month.
As you know, total of 11 people from our Synod went to South Korea to learn about
Australian mission work since 1889.
We visited 9 different Australian mission places that were founded and supported
by Australian missionaries. 126 Australian missionaries have served in Korea for
over 130 years.
We were warmly welcomed by each hosting organisation, and had many
opportunities to learn about how dedicated and committed Australian missionaries
had been for less fortunate Korean people, especially, women and children, poor
and sick people.
When Rev Park returns, I am sure she will ask Jackson to share his experience and
learning from Korea. So I don’t need to give you more information today, however I
will mention one Australian family later in my message.

Now let’s look at the readings from the New Testament for today.
When I prepare a message, the first thing I do is asking God for the Holy Spirit, and
then asking the Holy Spirit to inspire and teach me the truth from the bible for the
day.
I am not saying that what I am preaching today is the direct message from God. But
what I am saying is what requires us when we read the Bible.

Preachers like me always look for an inspiring and firing message that may change
people and the world. Some people look for answers for what they don’t know and
the future they are not sure of. Some people try to find spiritual formula for miracles,
wishes and desires.
But the truth is reading the Bible is less about what we can find from it, but more
about where God finds us and meets us.

What I mean by that is when we read the bible, we have our own agenda, so we
only look for what we need for the moments. Many christians including preachers
are selective readers looking for what’s already in their mind and plan.

Let me give you my experience.
Since April, the Synod has encouraged staff to take public transportations on
working days. So I’ve taken trams and trains to get to work. And I’ve been enjoying
it a lot, because back and forth trip between home and work, I see things that I
didn’t see before.
When I drive, I set up a destination and follow wherever GPS shows and tells me to
go. But taking public transportations, I’ve got to know my neighbours and find
places I didn’t know they were there before.
Now I stop shopping at Woollies or Coles, because I now have many local stores to
buy everything from. For the first time, I feel I belong to my local community where I
live.

So instead of studying the Bible or analysing the Bible, by the way the Bible is not
an encyclopaedia, but the living of word of God, so would you just open your bible
daily and read what God has for you whether you understand it or not.
In other words, instead of looking for God whom you think you can fit in your own
agenda, would you make yourself available for God to come to find you.
I believe reading the Bible invites you to be where you may be found by God. It’s
not US GOING, but GOD COMING as God did in Jesus Christ.

Athenians did not know that, but they had to convince people to believe their gods.
So they came up with images, idols and the objects of their worship for their non-
existing gods.
So when apostle Paul went there, he said, “The God does not live in shrines
made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands” because “In him
we live and move and have our being.”
Jesus also said, “You know him because he abides with you, and he will be in
you.”

We don’t see God, but we believe that God is in us and with us, Immanuel God.
1. Many people ask How we know God is in us, with us and for us, especially
during times of doubts, facing challenges and dealing with grief.
Maybe we have been asking a wrong question to God. Maybe, we start asking Why
God is in us, with us and for us, and then find ways to respond “How we know God
is in us.”

We know why God is in us because Jesus came in flesh to live among us, he died
for us, he forgave us through his death and he gave us new life through his
resurrection and promise.
Through our faith in Jesus Christ, through our love for God and one another, we
know why God is in us because of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
This is the reason why God is in us, it’s not our work or our achievement, but only
through grace and love of God.
And the reason why God is in us leads us respond how we know God is in us.

There was an Australian missionary family in Korea.
A newly married couple, James and Mary MacKenzie arrived Busan, Korea in
1910. They opened a clinic centre for people with leprosy.
3 years later, their first daughter Helen was born and her sister, Catherine was born
2 years later.
Helen and Catherine grew up watching how their parents served Korean people
and how those lepers became Christians. They grew up learning why their parents
came to Korea and lived among sick people.
After high school, Helen and Catherine came back to Australia in 1931 to study in
Melbourne University medical school to become medical practitioners. Helen
became a doctor and Catherine became a nurse.
They came back to Busan, Korea to continue their parents, James and Mary’s
medical mission. They established the first Women’s hospital, IL SHIN hospital in
Busan, Korea.

Through their medical mission work, they continued to respond why God brought
their family in Korea. Helen said, “God loves Koreans too and Koreans love God, so
we are here.”
Through their friendship and ministry, Koreans knew how God was in them, with
them and for them.
As Jesus said, "They who have my commandments and keep them are those
who love me, and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will
love them and reveal myself to them.”
Jesus was revealed to Korean people because James and Mary, and then Helen
and Catherine responded why God was with them.

Once you know and embrace why God is in us, with us and for us, you know God is
in us, with us and for us.

Now let me conclude my message.
We are good at well-planning and well-organising everything including worship
service, prayers of people, outreach community mission and ministry, and making
our church attractive to local people and community.
However, unless God is there, building an amazing church building may not offer
you to experience God,
Unless God is there, well-planned bible study and well-organised worship service
may not lead you to where God is,
If a random tram accident brought me to a real community and friendship, then
maybe, one verse you read today, one minute prayer you said today, one pastoral
call you made today may bring you to where you are found by God.
God is much closer to us if we stop being busy-body. Amen.