Me? Give a Sermon?
In the summer of 2011, my wife, Diane, and I were in South Korea and all set to start teaching English and public speaking. A few days before we were scheduled to present our first lessons, there was a retreat where we met the students, fellow teachers, and a pastor who went by the English name of Barnabas. After knowing Barnabas only a short while, he asked me to speak to his church on an upcoming Sunday.
I told him I would pray about it. When I told him no, it didn’t hurt our relationship. In fact, we became friends. All that summer and throughout the next year, I thought about that invitation. I kept wondering if I had made the right decision. I had prayed about it, so I guessed it wasn’t God’s timing.
The following summer, my wife and I had an opportunity to return to South Korea. When my friend, Barnabas, asked me to speak, I said yes. That meant I was committing to lead Sunday School classes and speak to both his Cambodian and Vietnamese congregations.
For Sunday School, I prepared an interactive study on Acts 16:25-34 about Paul and Silas. These men were in prison singing praise songs near midnight when there was an earthquake.
My sermon was on Psalm 91 and about God being a refuge and fortress for believers. It was during my preparation that I first became familiar with the verse that appears in my upcoming book, The Two-Cent Piece. Psalm 91:2 (KJV) says, I will say of the Lord, “‘He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.’”
The two church services featured Bible reading in the different languages, inspired music, my sermon, prayers, and food. I gave my sermon first through a Cambodian translator, and then through one who spoke Vietnamese.
Within a few years, Barnabas and his wife, HaSuk, visited our home. Their children, Insu and Hyun Ji, came to study at universities near where we live. We have many fond memories of meals together, college graduations, and special times with the whole family.
When Barnabas asked me to speak, God led me to Psalm 91. Years later, a verse from that sermon ended up in The Two-Cent Piece. God’s timing has been and always is perfect.
Blessings to you all! Join me daily as we pray for wisdom.
