To the Lord Whether We Live or Die (Romans 14:7-9)
Rev. Myung-Sin Choi
7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
Introduction
This new year, we have received the word of Romans 14:7-9. I believe that this is the message that God has given to us. God has given us the message of the bartizan of word, worship, and prayer. I want to share a video with you all. I was touched when I watched this video. I pray that our remnants will be successful and be able to make the same confessions before people of this world. That is why we work and do what we do. May this year of 2025 be a year where we can receive absolute answers from God. God has given us the main scripture today but I pray that this year be a year where we can bring this verse into fruition. We need to hold onto the word of God no matter what. The reason is written in verse 7.
1. The Bartizan of the Word
1) The posture of the disciples
Verse 7 - This scripture is kind of strange. All people live for themselves but the scripture is telling us not to do that. We are not living for ourselves. There is no one who dies for themselves as well. The Bible is also saying that as well. But the Bible tells us that we are dying for another being. These are words that people of this world can understand. In other words, we do not belong to ourselves.
Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” - Without us knowing, we are serving a master. You are either serving God or wealth. What does it mean to serve wealth? Can money really become your master?
John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” - This is saying that people are worshiping and serving a master that steals, kills, and destroys us. How are people in this world living? They are living by killing others or you are living your life saving others as a person of God. You cannot serve two masters at once. You must understand this. Are you living your life enslaved to the master that steals or are you living where God is the master of your life? This year, we must always think about this and think about which master we are serving.
Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:7 “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.” - Until now, all of the things that I loved and cherished in this world were all rubbish. This was what Paul realized. Once he realized this, he made the resolution to seek after only Christ as his true master. This is what we must realize. No matter what, in the year of 2025, we must make the resolution to live for Christ alone. We must look up to only Christ. We must make this resolution.
2) Our resolution
What we must realize is Hebrews 9:27 “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” - Hold onto this. What happens after judgment? You go to your master. Once we face judgment, will you stand before God? How can we do this? What should we do?
John 6:68 “But Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.’ ” - What must we do in order to live for Christ? We need to hold onto the word of God, eternal life. That is why it is so important for us to hold onto God’s word. We receive the headquarters (HQ) messages and the messages within our church throughout the week. When you hold onto God’s word, you will receive answers accordingly.
Joshua 1:8 “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” - This is God’s promise to you. God is absolutely telling us that when you meditate on the word of God and live according to it, then God will make your ways prosperous and you will have success. May we receive prosperous and successful answers. Hold onto the pulpit message and read the Bible, and have family worship. Always hold onto the 3 todays.
1 Corinthians 10:31 “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” - I truly want all of you to do this. I am praying for all of you that this happens to you and to me. May my life and the year of 2025 all be for God’s glory. When we wake up in the morning, start with prayer. Pray by asking God that your day will be able to give glory to God. Imagine how pleased God will be when you have this prayer.
2. The Bartizan of Worship
1) The posture of worship
Verse 8 - The fact that we have become God’s is tremendous and such a blessing. That is why you must live and die for God. You should be so happy. Where can you find this kind of happiness?
Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” - This message is so important. You have been crucified on the cross with Christ. What has died when we were crucified on the cross? The original sin died on the cross. We now have eternal life. Since we have been crucified, we have died, and so you must live for Christ alone. You have died and Christ has given you a new life. You must live with this new life. Then, how can we live? Remember this. You must live within the faith of Jesus Christ who died for me. We must live with the happiness that Christ died for you. You must live with this thanksgiving and give all glory to God.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” - We gained new life within Christ but we also received the gift of the Holy Spirit. We have become a new creation. Your old past is completely gone and you are a new creation. You don’t belong to yourself anymore, you are now a temple of the Holy Spirit. We have become a temple of God, a place where we can give glory and praise to God. When we are a temple of God, we need to live giving worship and glory to God. We must give everything and our body to God.
Philippians 1:20 “According to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.” - When you give worship, what kind of posture and attitude should you have? This is what the scripture tells us to do. As we give worship to God, we are asking God to receive all of the glory. When we pray this prayer to God before you give worship to God, imagine how pleased God would be. We need to live our lives giving glory to God but we need to give more glory to God during the time of worship.
2) The resolution of worship
Romans 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” - When we give worship to God, present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God. Our thoughts, heart, and bodies, give it all to God. Through this worship, may you receive all of me.
Romans 12:2 - Through worship, think about what makes God happy and what God desires of me. When you think about this, imagine how pleased God will be. If you don’t know, ask God. Ask God, what is your will and what makes you happy?
Matthew 22:37-40 “Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. ” - This is what it means to give our bodies as a living sacrifice to God. This means to love God with all of our heart, mind, and soul. We are giving everything to God. God tells us to love our neighbors as much as we love ourselves. When we give glory to God and love God with all of our heart as well as love our neighbors, these are what makes God happy.
Matthew 22:40 - These are two commandments, these are the main covenants of God. This was the reason why God created the world. What makes God the most happy and gives him the greatest glory is when we hold onto these two commandments. Jesus Christ died on the cross and resurrected for this reason. We need to hold onto these prayer topics. Pray that God will accept us just like God accepted Jesus Christ. Accept all of my thoughts, heart, and soul. May our remnants have success in worship. If you are victorious in worship, then you will become the disciples of the age. May our church officers have success in worship. This will please God.
3. The Bartizan of Prayer
1) The posture of prayer
Verse 9 - We receive the word of God and we are able to pray with the word. We need to hold onto the fact that Jesus Christ died and rose and lived again. This was the fact. Through prayer, we must experience the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
John 14:14 “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” - When you pray to God, call out to the name of God.
Matthew 18:19 “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.” - I truly believe in this. As you know, the church officers are gathering together and we are praying. I believe that God will answer us. This is because God will answer us.
Mark 11:24 “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” - Don’t fall into disbelief. God has promised us so you need to pray with faith.
Matthew 17:20 "So Jesus said to them, 'Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.' " - The fact of a mustard seed, even with this kind of faith, God will answer us.
2) The resolution of prayer
John 15:7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” - Pray with the word of God. Pray with faith. Hold onto the word with faith.
1 Corinthians 2:5 “That your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” - If you pray with faith, then you will experience the power of God. You don’t realize the amount of power that is within the word of God. There is power within God’s word. God’s Word is God, Himself.
Hold onto Ephesians 5:18 “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.” - Be filled with the Holy Spirit. This is the promise of God. If you pray, then God will answer us. When I pray, I always pray for the Holy Spirit to come upon me. I always pray for the filling of the Holy Spirit that came upon Mark’s Upper Room. I believe that the same power will come upon us.
Hold onto Jeremiah 33:2-3 “Thus says the Lord who made it, the Lord who formed it to establish it (the Lord is His name): 3 ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ ” - When you pray, don’t just pray but cry and call out to God. You may question if you need to cry and call out to God. But, this scripture tells us to call out to God. If a problem or situation comes to us, God has given you that situation and crisis. That is when you call out to God. When you call out to God, God will answer. When you call out to God, then the power of the Holy Spirit will come upon you. When I call out to God, I start speaking in tongues. I was able to experience healing taking place. When you truly call out to God, you can experience sincerity and earnestness coming out from your prayers to God. You come to this absolute conviction that you need only God and only God will answer your prayers. God will be pleased with this kind of prayer.
Conclusion
Hold onto verse 8 - This is the message that we must receive in the year of 2025. Keep this within your heart and raise up your bartizan. May this become your bartizan of your word, prayer, and worship. May God give you great answers this year of 2025.
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