¹⁹ Now when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were together due to fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, “Peace be to you.” ²⁰ And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹ So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be to you; just as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” ²² And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.” Revelation 20:19-23

Today is the day the world celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. On this day, we remember how God sent His only begotten Son and how He died on the cross to redeem us. We remember His bigger sacrifice of rising from the grave three days after His crucifixion. He conquered death, giving the world undeniable proof that He was God’s Son and had overcome death. God does many things for us, but the most remarkable thing God gives us is love. On this day, we celebrate God’s love! We recognize love is the driving force behind everything God gives to us.

People describe alligators as being monstrous, aggressive, and one of the most dangerous animals in the world. Alligators can digest anything it swallows. You do not want to be left alone with an alligator. But for a baby alligator, its mother’s embrace is the safest, warmest place in the world. Its mother doesn’t look gruesome or menacing; its mother is the most beautiful creature in the world. Why is this? God instills love in their hearts. They love each other with a love God has created and given to them. We’re the same. Without God’s love, despite His redemption and all the thing He does for us, the world would be a cold and bitter place. There would be no peace and harmony.

There are many things we ask for. We ask for good health and prosperity. We pray for ourselves and our loved ones. But on this day of resurrection, let’s pray foremost to be filled with God’s love. Imagine what life would be like if God’s love filled us all day and every day! This is our goal! This is what we should strive to do! Let our hearts be filled with God’s love and see how we change, see how our relationships change and see how our world changes.

So let’s set as a prayer topic three things: pray for God to reveal His love to us. Second, pray to procure the faith to believe in this love and third, pray for the power to live according to this love. If we pray for these three things and set them as the goals in our lives, we lose our desire for other things because this is enough. Our relationship with the world becomes unsullied and virtuous. How can we be greedy or hate others, or lie when God’s love lives inside us?

But this love doesn’t mean all kinds of love. It must be God’s love. It must be a love that despises sin. It must be a love that seeks righteousness. It must be a love that brings us closer to God. Fill your hearts with God’s love, and be careful of a love that has nothing to do with God but everything to do with sin, the evil spirit, and Satan.

On this day of resurrection, let us celebrate God’s love and make it a day of emphasis to be filled with God’s love. Pray fervently for God to reveal His love. Have the faith to believe in His love, despite how it may appear to you. And pray for the power to live according to His love. From this moment on, fill your hearts with God’s love and go out into the world. See how your world changes! See how your relationship with your spouse changes! See you how relationships with family and loved ones change! If we live with this love in our hearts, we have nothing to worry about; we stand before God’s judgment, confident knowing we lived our lives with love in our hearts.

Click for Korean sermon https://soundcloud.com/yhpaik/1988-4-3-full