The passage we read today contains the confession of a man named Jacob. Jacob was the grandson of a man named Abraham. Now, the man Abraham is a very important to our faith. The Bible records the story of Abraham’s family in detail. And then—when the New Testament introduces Jesus, the One we believe in—the very first words are Abraham. “Jesus Christ, the Son of Abraham.”

And the Bible also says, “Those who believe in Jesus will receive the blessing that was given to Abraham.” So knowing what kind of blessing Abraham received is deeply connected to each of us. We need to understand well what kind of blessing Abraham received.

But the blessing that God gives always comes through His word. That’s why the question “What did God say to Abraham?” is very important. Because we are also connected to that word.

So now, Jacob—the grandson of Abraham—had an amazing experience, just like what we read together earlier. I would like to share with you what that means, how it is connected to us today, and what we should do going forward.

When you attend the church, believe in Jesus—and through Him, you come to know God. This God appeared to Abraham about 4,000 years ago and told him what He was going to do. When God appeared to Abraham, he was living in the region that today we call Iraq in the Middle East. And what did God say to Abraham? He said, “I will make you a blessing.” God promised, “I will make you a blessing, and through you, others will be blessed.” And who are those people? “All the nations of the world will be blessed through you.” God was revealing that He was about to begin a great work—and the first person He chose for it was Abraham.

However, at that time, Abraham was already 75 years old. When God first appeared to him, he was already 75. And to this 75-year-old man, God said, “Through you, all the nations of the earth will be blessed. You will have a child, and through that child, a great nation will be made.”

But here’s the problem: Abraham was 75 years old, and his wife was ten years younger than him, but Her body could no longer conceive. She couldn’t have children anymore. Yet God promised, “A great nation will come from your child, and many descendants will be born through him.” It sounds impossible, doesn’t it? However, God gave this promise in a very specific way.

Let’s say a great nation is going to be made. Then where would all those people live? It wasn’t going to be Iraq, where Abraham was living at the time. God said, “Leave Iraq. I will take you somewhere else, so follow Me.” And where did God lead him? To the region what we now call Palestine—where Israel stands today. It’s a fertile land on the eastern side of the Mediterranean Sea. The surrounding areas are barren, but only the eastern side of the sea is fertile. That region is called Palestine, and in those days, it was known as the land of Canaan. The Bible describes it as a land flowing with milk and honey. God said, “I will give you that land. There, your descendants will make a great nation.”

Then what would happen in that land? God said, “I will dwell among you and be your God, and you shall be My people.” This was a promise given to Abraham, one person, but what was going to happen next? God was saying, “You will give birth to a child in that land of Palestine. That child will have many descendants and become a great nation. I will dwell among them and be their God. And when I become their God, what will happen? Through that nation, through your descendants, through that great nation, all the nations of the earth will be blessed.” But whose blessing is this? It is God’s blessing! It’s God’s happiness!

This was the amazing and great work that He promised. But for this to be fulfilled, it wouldn’t take just three years. Thirty years wouldn’t be enough. Even three hundred years wouldn’t be enough. It would take something like three thousand years. And in fact, something visible finally appeared two thousand years later. It appeared in reality when Jesus Christ came on this earth.

Abraham believed that God’s promise and left the region of Iraq. His wife, who was said to be unable to bear children, actually gave birth to a son. But she didn’t conceive right after the promise was given—Abraham was 75 when he received the promise, and it wasn’t until 25 years later, when he was 100 years old, that the child was born. His wife was 90 at the time. She gave birth at ninety! It sounds impossible, doesn’t it? People laughed at them, but Abraham believed to the end—and sure enough, his wife gave birth at the age of ninety. She didn’t even have the physical ability to bear children. And yet, she gave birth. That’s when Abraham realized: “Ah, the God who appeared to me is the One who calls things that do not exist as though they did.”

To call things that do not exist as though they did—what an incredible power! That is the very God we have met. Our Pastor Ki-Dong Kim also met this God and shared the gospel with us so that we could come to know Him too. And he once had an experience like this. He healed a patient with a serious lung disease. The man had been dying, but after prayer, he could breathe again, move around, and even exercise. Later, his family insisted that he still go to the hospital for a scan—just to be sure. So he went and got the scan, and what they found was shocking. The lung that they thought had been healed was actually gone. It had almost completely disappeared, and only a shriveled, fist-sized piece remained. But this man was breathing just fine. Everyone thought he was healed. So what had happened wasn’t that his lungs had recovered and started functioning again, but that God was using what didn’t exist as though it did. Isn’t that something to be thankful for? But, unfortunately, when that man saw the scan results, a thought came into his mind—“I’m not really healed.” And from that moment on, he became sick again. So what we must realize is God calls things that do not exist as though they did.

Later, Abraham must have been overjoyed to have a child. But what made him truly joyful was not just the child himself, but the fact that God’s promise—one that seemed completely impossible—had come true. He saw it with his own eyes and rejoiced. “Wow, this God—His promises really do come true! Even the impossible is fulfilled!” Then he must have thought, “God made many promises to me. That I would become the blessing. That I would become a great nation. That He would be my God, and through me, all nations of the world would be blessed.” When his child was born, Abraham was completely convinced that all those promises would be fulfilled. He had received the proof. So he was absolutely sure that God was with him and that God protected him.

But later on, Abraham received another word from God. This was after his son had grown up. God told him to offer that son as a sacrifice. But not just any sacrifice—God told him to offer his son as a burnt offering, a sacrifice by fire. Now, this sounds strange, doesn’t it? God had promised that Abraham’s descendants would become a great nation. But for that to happen, his son would need to have children, and those children would need to have more children. Yet now, God was asking him to offer up this only son. If the son dies, wouldn’t that make God’s promise impossible? It seems like a contradiction, doesn’t it?

Abraham must have thought, “If I do what the Lord says and kill my son, then he won’t be able to have children—and how could my descendants ever become a great nation? Wouldn’t that mean God’s promise won’t be fulfilled?” But there was one possible answer that could satisfy both sides: Abraham obeys and offers his son, and then—God raises him back to life. Abraham was convinced of this. He believed, “Ah, God must be the One who can raise the dead.” So, he took his son on a three-day journey to the place of sacrifice. He laid him on the altar, tied him up, and truly raised the knife to kill him.

Then God said, “Stop! Now I know. I know that you truly love Me.” And He said, “Because you have loved Me and did not withhold your son, I will not withhold My Son, but give Him to you and to your descendants. I see that you have faith that is not even hesitant to give up your own son. I chose the right man.” God acknowledged him. At that moment, Abraham looked up and saw a ram. A ram had its horns caught in a thicket. So Abraham offered it in place of his son as a sacrifice, and then he returned with his son.

This is the faith Abraham had. As I mentioned earlier, “God calls what does not exist as though it does.” Abraham had one more kind of faith: he believed that God raises the dead. That’s the faith he had. And we, who believe in Jesus today, have this same faith as Abraham. God uses what doesn’t exist as though it does. And second, He raises the dead. That’s who our God is. All of us here will one day die. But God wants to raise the ones He desires. And who does He want to raise? Those who are united with His Son, Jesus Christ.

So then, who can become one with Jesus? God’s Son is holy. So what should we do to become one with Him? We should be united with someone holy, but how does God see us humans? If we are to become one with someone holy, we must be holy as well—only then would such a union be fitting. But when God looks at us, we humans are not holy. Our hearts are full of unclean things: hatred, murder, lies, jealousy, violence—all kinds of impurity dwell in us. Unless these are cleansed, how can we ever become one with a holy God?

Some may think, “Then I just need to stop lying. I must not murder others. Then maybe I’ll be worthy!” But that is not the case. God has already said, “All have sinned.” Every person in the world is a sinner. Every single one. Whether it’s Buddha or Confucius—every person is a sinner. Our hearts are full of what is unclean. “What about pastors?” you might ask. Pastors are sinners, too. Their hearts are full of unclean things as well. Even now, as I speak before you, I am not doing so because I am full of purity or because there is nothing dirty in me. I, too, have many filthy things inside me.

And yet—I have become one with Jesus. God has resolved all this problem. How? His Son, Jesus Christ, paid for my sin. Two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ came to this earth, took upon Himself all our filthy sins, and was put to death as the price of sin. People say, “Jesus died!” But to be precise—He was sentenced to death. Why was someone without sin put to death? Because there was sin, He was put to death. But That sin was not His, but ours. To acknowledge this and accept what Jesus has done for us—that is what it means to believe in Jesus.

But being made clean is not the end. Once we accept this and are cleansed, we must become one with Him. Just as God promised Abraham, we must become one with God, and the word He spoke—“I will be your God, and you will be My people”—must be fulfilled. I believed in Jesus and received the forgiveness of sins. Because I have been made clean, I can now become one with Jesus.

And what is the way to become one with Jesus? I was baptized in the name of Jesus. That is why everyone who believes in Jesus must be baptized. I know that some of you who are new here today have already been baptized. If so, you have become one with Jesus. And from that moment, the nature, attributes, and power of God begin to enter into us.

That is when we begin to grow. It doesn’t end with the birth of a child. A child must grow. In the same way, being baptized and united with God is not the end— we too must grow. Then how? We must now obey His Word. Only by obeying the Word can our souls mature. Being born is not the end—we must live as a person, gain strength, grow in knowledge, receive our rights, and come to work. It’s the same in God’s kingdom. If we have believed in Jesus and become one with Him, then we now begin our life of serving God.

Now, I want to talk about a very basic part of serving God—a truly foundational step. If you have been baptized and you believe that you are now one with Jesus, then you must show that faith through your actions. One important way to do this is through what we call the “tithe.” Tithe! You may have heard of it.

It means giving one-tenth of our income to God. If we earn $1,000 a month, we set aside $100 and offer it to God. If we earn $10,000, then we offer $1,000. If our income $100,000, we give $10,000. As the amount gets larger, it feels heavier, doesn’t it? If it’s one million dollars, you would need to give $100,000. That’s not easy—because money is incredibly important in this world. But you’re asked to set that money apart and offer it to God. This is something only those who truly believe that God is alive can do. If a person does not acknowledge that God is living, they simply cannot do it—not even by forcing themselves.

Now, you are making a confession: “I want to meet God.” Some of you may even say, “I have already met God.” If that is the case, then at the very least, you must express your faith before God. At the very least. And when we give even this minimum confession of faith, God gives us more faith. He reveals Himself to us even more.

You can’t entrust money to someone who cannot handle it. Money is only given to those who have the ability to manage it. Imagine a fifth-grade child asking, “Give me $1,000.” What parents would actually hand it over? But if that child becomes mature and responsible, parents will give it when the time is right. In the same way, God gives to those who are able to handle it. If we say we have faith, then we should become people who are able to give one-tenth to God.

Earlier, we were talking about Jacob. The promise God gave to Abraham was passed down to his descendants. That son was Isaac. And Isaac had a son named Jacob. The promise continued to be passed down through them. Now, while Isaac was an only son, he had two sons. Among them, Jacob was the younger. The older was named Esau, and the younger was Jacob. Normally, blessings—just like in our culture—are passed down to the firstborn. But Jacob wasn’t the firstborn; he was the second. So by birth order, he wasn’t the one to inherit the blessing.

However, Jacob greatly longed for God’s blessing. He desired to receive the blessing that God had given to his grandfather Abraham. So he deceived his brother, deceived his father, and received the blessing instead. In a way, he received it through cunning means. As a result, his brother wanted to kill him. It almost led to murder in the same household. If Jacob had stayed there, he would have been killed. And if he died, then what would happen to God’s promise to Abraham that his descendants would become a great nation? That promise wouldn’t be fulfilled if Jacob were dead. So when his brother tried to kill him, Jacob had to flee. He fled from the land of Canaan—the very land that God had promised.

But fleeing came with worries. God had not only promised many descendants, but He had also promised this land—the land of Canaan. Yet Jacob was now leaving that very land to save his own life. For God’s promise to be fulfilled through him, he had to both stay alive and keep the land. But at that moment, preserving his life came first, so he ran. And no one knew when—or if—he would ever return. His brother wouldn’t be the end of the story; Esau would also have children. Jacob and Esau would be enemies, and Jacob might never return in his lifetime. Perhaps even his children might not be able to return. If that happened, the land would have nothing to do with Jacob, and the promise wouldn’t be fulfilled through him.

So, for Jacob, even though he was fleeing, what mattered most was returning. Only if he returned would God’s promise be fulfilled through him. Only then would the promise—“I will be with you”—come to be fulfilled, and he would become a blessing, through whom all nations on earth would be blessed. While on the run, Jacob laid down to sleep before he had fully left the land. And while sleeping, he had a dream. In that dream, God appeared and made a promise: “The promise I gave to your grandfather Abraham will be fulfilled through you. You shall be a blessing, and all nations will be blessed through you. For this, you will make a great nation, and you will return to this land.” When he woke up, he realized it had been a dream.

After that, Jacob made a confession. “Wow! I didn’t know—God is truly in this place!” Then he built an altar and made a vow. “God, I pray to You. I must return to this land. Since You have promised it, if You truly make me come back to my father’s house, then the Lord shall be my God. I will be sure You are with me. I will believe that You will accomplish great things through me. I will believe that all nations of the earth will be blessed through me. If I only return—if I can come back—then You shall be my God. If I come back safely—if You really become my God and I can see for sure that You’re with me—then I’ll do this. I’ll give You one-tenth of everything I have.” What does that mean? “God, if what You promised to Abraham is fulfilled to me, I know You’re with me, and I have clear proof for this, then I’ll give You a tenth of all I own.” This is the very heart of what the tithe is about.

In the end, Jacob returned after twenty years. By then, he had four wives, twelve children, and great wealth. When he came back, the brother he feared would kill him instead welcomed him with open arms. And Jacob became a great nation. His twelve sons became the twelve tribes of Israel. He came to make a great nation. And God even gave Jacob a new name: Israel. “You have wrestled with God and prevailed. You, before God, cried out for blessing and refused to let Him go. Finally, you prevailed.” And so God named him “Israel,” meaning “the one who prevails.”

And from his descendants came the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Jesus fulfilled all the promises God had made long ago. He paid the price for our sins. And then God gave us His name. That’s why we were baptized by His name. And we can receive the Holy Spirit who comes in the name of Jesus. For those who have received the Holy Spirit, He now dwells in them. That means, the promise God made to Abraham has been fulfilled.

So then, if we are someone truly believes that God’s promise—“I will be with you”—has been fulfilled in our life, what should we do first? We should begin by giving the tithe. That was the original promise from long ago: “If You bring me back to this land safely, if You become my God, then I will give You a tenth of all that I gain.”

So this God you are truly desire to believe in—the very One whom Abraham served, the One who raised Jesus Christ from the dead, the One whom Pastor Ki-Dong Kim encountered and through whom He worked powerfully, the One whom Overseer Sung-Hyun Kim met and through whom He is now leading us, and the One I myself have met—He is all the same God. He is one and the same. If you want this God to be your God, and you truly believe that you too are to become a blessing who makes blessing to all people, then start by giving the tithe.

Of course, giving the tithe might feel difficult—especially if you don’t believe it. If you don’t believe it, you won’t be able to do it. But if you truly believe, you can give. Why? Because God is the One who can give far more than that. In fact, He already has, and He will continue to do so. That small amount is nothing in comparison. Some people try to save every little bit but still end up living in poverty. Others save money their entire lives, live tightly, and accumulate wealth—only to get sick when they finally try to enjoy it, and they pass away. Even if they want to leave that money to their children, sometimes something unexpected happens and the money disappears.

Money never truly belongs to us. But how amazing is it that we can use something so small like money to confess our faith to God? A confession of faith is eternal. We’re using something that will perish and disappear for something eternal. When we give the tithe, God does not rejoice thinking, “Ah, I’ve gained some money.” It’s not like that. If my son comes and says, “Dad, I saved up this money just for you,” and gives me $50, I’m not excited, thinking, “Great! I’m going to spend this!” That’s not what moves me. What moves me is the thought, “My son is growing up. He’s thinking of me.” That’s what makes me proud. So what does the father do? He doesn’t take that money to buy himself a drink. No, he adds another $50 and gives it back to his son, saying, “Here, use this for yourself.” That’s the heart of a father.

God is the same way. We say we’re giving something to God, but in truth, what we’re really offering is not the amount—it’s our faith that He is with us, and our gratitude. That’s what we’re giving. Without that heart, there’s no use coming before God saying, “God, bless me.” It’s not that He hasn’t blessed us—think about it: He has already given us eternal life. Unless we respond properly to what we’ve already received, we won’t be able to grow any further.

Since this is your first time attending the Newcomers Worship, we don’t have a time for offering. However, this is simply because we don’t want to burden you on your first visit. But if you truly desire God’s help, want to build a deeper relationship with Him, and want to serve Him faithfully, you should give offerings. You might think, “I don’t have any money. I don’t earn anything, so I can’t give a tithe.” But even if you don’t have a job, money can still come your way—perhaps someone gives you an allowance or a gift. Let’s say you receive $50 in a month. Then just set aside $5 as your tithe. You might think, “But I didn’t earn that; it was just a gift.” Even then, give one-tenth from it. That small act is meaningful—it is not the same as giving nothing. From that time, God will recognize it. He will say, “This person is sincere,” and He will begin to grant you the treasures He has kept hidden until now.

We who believe in Jesus are not fools. We are wise. So why do we bring our money to church? It’s not that we’re giving it to the church. It’s not that we’re throwing it away. We are offering it to God.

Also, strictly speaking, the tithe is not even considered a regular offering. An offering is what I give voluntarily, but the tithe is something God has already claimed as “His own.” He said, “It is Mine!” Everything we earn comes from God. If you earn $1,000 a month, that entire amount is from Him. Honestly, we could give it all back and still owe Him—but God, in His kindness, tells us, “You may keep $900 for your needs. But from that $1,000, set aside $100 to express your faith. That portion is Mine.” So if we withhold the tithe, we are actually stealing from God. And how can God bless someone who is stealing from Him? He might let that person live, but they won’t be able to receive what comes next. That’s why giving the tithe is something basic—we ought to start from there.

If you ever think to yourself, “I want to give God a gift,” then that is what you do in addition to the tithe. These additional gifts are what we call offerings. The tithe and offerings are separate. That’s why we, the members of Sungrak Church, naturally set aside our tithe first. And then every time we come before God, we bring an offering. We never come empty-handed. When I go visit my parents, I don’t go empty-handed. I bring something. When I meet elders or people I deeply respect, I don’t just say, “Thank you! I’m so grateful!” I often prepare a gift in an envelope and offer it to them. Because we are so grateful that God has given us eternal life, we cannot keep coming before Him empty-handed every time.

Now, since you are attending the Newcomers Worship, there is no designated offering time here, just so that you won’t feel pressured. But that doesn’t mean offerings are unnecessary. If you want to receive God’s blessing and catch His attention, you are to give offerings. You can bring an offering envelope or just prepare an envelope at home and bring it with you. If there’s no designated time for offerings, you can simply place it in the front, or hand it to the pastor as you come in. You can also put it in the offering box in the main sanctuary.

It’s good for you to make sure to do this—not for the church, but so that you can draw closer to God. Tithes and offerings are something you should do if you want to meet God more deeply.

And then—just wait and see what happens. We’ve all experienced it. Things that were so hard to accomplish suddenly begin to work out. It always felt like there wasn’t enough, but even after tithing, we were never in lack.

The Bible tells us that Jesus not only died on the cross but also became poor while on earth. Why? So that we could become rich. But “rich” doesn’t mean becoming wealthy—it means no longer being bound by money. It means we don’t live crushed under money. We are not slaves to it. I don’t have a lot of money either. But I don’t live as if I’m bound by it. If there’s something I must do, I do it—even if I don’t have the money. And strangely, the money follows. That’s the kind of richness we have. People without this richness can’t act, even when they have a pile of money—because they are anxious and afraid. But believers can act, even without money. And then the money follows. It’s mysterious. We are rich. But we can’t expect this kind of life if we haven’t even begun to offer the tithe.

Beloved, whether you have much or little, even if you only receive one dollar, give ten cents. Then something different will surely happen in your life. And through this, confess with all your heart, “God, You are my God. You truly are my God.” Then God will also draw nearer to you.

I bless you in the name of Jesus to become such a person.

I will pray.

God our Father, we thank You for giving us the reality of the promise You made to Abraham. Since You have become our God, help us—just as Abraham did, just as Jacob did, just as You commanded, and just as Jesus Himself did—to also give a tenth of our income and confess our faith through it. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.