Sunday Sermon Manuscript for April 27

Pioneers of Faith

Shalom! It’s wonderful to be with you today. Some of you might be thinking, “Who’s that up there?” My name is Jieun Yoon, and I’m the youth pastor at Yeolin Church. Normally, I’m over in the education building worshiping with our youth. But today I’m honored to be here with you for the United Women in Faith’s devotional worship service. It’s a joy to share God’s Word together.

They say people change when they meet other people. When someone moves us deeply—when what we’ve understood only with our minds is embodied right before our eyes—that’s when real growth happens. Of course, the opposite can happen too—sometimes we learn from bad examples, taking them as a warning. But when we meet someone who truly sees us, someone we connect with, someone who offers genuine comfort, something incredible happens. People come alive—even a person who seemed utterly unchangeable can be transformed.

That’s why I believe our culture’s buzzwords—“communication,” “empathy,” and “inspiration”—are pointing us toward something even deeper. And that fourth word is “deep resonance.”

• Communication is simply connecting through words.

• Empathy is connecting emotionally.

• Inspiration links us through intuition and motivation.

• But deep resonance (통감) is when all these are powerfully intertwined—our hearts beating as one. In old Korean, we might call it 이심전심, “from heart to heart.” When our hearts align, if they hurt, I hurt too.

I think the transformation we experience when “people change people” happens through this very resonance—this deep, heart-to-heart connection. We want to follow, to imitate, to become better than we were before—and that always starts with an intimate, connecting relationship.

Jesus showed us this connection through His life—a life fully united with God, especially on the cross. Through His example, we’re invited into that same same connection: to live so fully united with the Father that our wills become one. Maybe that’s what we mean when we speak of the Holy Spirit’s work: God’s will and ours synchronized, 이심전심—our own spiritual resonance.

We often call this amazing transformation by one word: grace. God has promised us this grace. He is deeply invested in changing and renewing us. Today, in this place, he yearns to pour out that grace on us. Through worship, we connect with him—heart, soul, and mind—and he creates new life within us. And then, through our transformed lives, he builds his church: a community of people who resonate so deeply with one another that together we advance his kingdom in the world.

This morning’s message focuses squarely on that theme: how spiritual, holistic transformation—becoming one with God—takes place in our lives.

Please turn with me to Hebrews 13. But first, we need to talk about Hebrews 11—often dubbed “the Hall of Faith.”

You’ll recognize many names there: Abel, the first whose offering pleased God in the Cain and Abel story; the list goes on—Abraham, Moses, and even unnamed believers of the New Testament era. From the dawn of Genesis to the early church, they are our pioneers of faith—people who experienced the change we long for, who held fast to God’s heart. What drove them? What did they cling to that enabled them to endure? Don’t you want to know?

1. The Legacy of God’s Faithful Promise (Hebrews 13:5–6)Today’s Scripture gives us a big clue. These pioneers treasured an enduring promise, one so precious that the writer of Hebrews cites it again in the New Testament: Let’s look at Hebrews 13:5-6:

…for he himself has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?”

Doesn’t that sound familiar? This passage actually has its roots in the Old Testament, first appearing in Deuteronomy and then again in Joshua. These were words God spoke to both Moses, who led the Israelites out of Egypt, and Joshua, who succeeded him as their leader. Here’s the context:

The Israelites, after years in the wilderness, were finally on the verge of entering Canaan. At that moment, God gave these words to Moses. The writer of Hebrews is now quoting this Old Testament promise in the New Testament. Let’s look at the original passage in Deuteronomy 31:1-2, 6-8:

When Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel, he said to them, “I am now one hundred twenty years old. I am no longer able to get about, and the Lord has told me, ‘You shall not cross over this Jordan.’… Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because it is the Lord your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you.” Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and bold, … It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

This was Moses’s farewell address to Israel after 40 years in the wilderness.

Now let’s look at Joshua 1:5-6, where God speaks to Joshua right after Moses’ death, as Joshua steps into Moses’s role:

No one shall be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous…

As if those appearances weren’t enough, this promise reappears, like Like a songwriter remixing a beloved refrain, the promise resurfaces in Psalm 118, with with the superscription "A Song of Victory.” Let’s read Psalm 118:6:

With the Lord on my side I do not fear. What can mortals do to me?

This bold declaration of comfort and victory—that emboldened Moses and Joshua became a variation in the Psalms, a national anthem sung by the Israelites for generations. “The Lord is on my side. He will never leave me or forsake me. So I will not fear. What can anyone do to me?”— Scripture declares this truth again and again.

This passage is especially meaningful to me personally. It’s been a lifeline that’s kept me close to God. Let me share a brief story.

2. My Personal “Exile” and God’s PromiseLast summer, due to visa issues, I was unexpectedly stranded in Korea for five months.  That period lasted about five months Fear, confusion, and anxiety threatened to overwhelm me. I barely had the strength to pray. Some around me called it was God’s judgment; others said it God’s will. But the only word God spoke into my heart was this promise:

“Do not fear. I am with you. Your God, the Lord, goes with you.”

I even nicknamed that season—one even my husband doesn’t know about. I’m sharing it for the first time here: “Inbuk-ro Exile” after our street name in Korea—‘Inbuk-ro.’ And “exile”? You know how we call Israel’s captivity in Babylon “the Exile”? It’s the time when the people of Judah were taken captive for 70 years before returning to Jerusalem. I jokingly called mine “Inbuk-ro Exile.” Of course, it wasn’t seventy years—only 146 days—but it was a season of testing.

Do you have your own “exile” story? A season you went through—what gave you the strength to endure? For me, during my short yet long “Inbuk-ro Exile,” it was this Scripture that held me fast:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

In a situation where everything felt frightening, where it seemed like God wasn’t there, this promise rang louder than ever. When my daily life crumbled and the future looked uncertain, God gave me the strength to cling to this verse in prayer every night. He rebuilt the foundation of my life—not on the stability of routine, a guaranteed future, or the absence of worry, but on His Word, His promises, and His deep comfort. God restored my soul before he fixed my circumstances. He healed my heart and renewed my trust so that I could stand firm, resonating with him in that deep, 이심전심 connection.

A life led by God, and the courage and confidence to trust it—that’s what I believe the pioneers of faith showed us.

Through that experience, God re-created me—not merely as someone who follows a path, but as a path-maker. He gave me courage to move forward—no matter the place, the company, or the circumstance—into my own “Canaan,” a new beginning. That is the power of true resonance with Christ: transforming trials into opportunities to advance boldly in faith.

This is the grace that allows me to remember last summer with gratitude.

3. A Call to Transformation and WitnessI pray that this same grace fills all of us today. May God’s promise fill you with courage, fresh hope, and the resolve to change, rooted in the promise of Hebrews 13:5-6:

…for he himself has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” 6 So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?”

God’s Word connects our hearts to his, and in that union, transformation happens. May your life be overflowing with testimonies of this truth.

When we lean on God’s promises, we are not tossed by circumstances, emotions, or opinions but become pioneers—way-makers—who break through barriers in his name.

This is so important. Each one of you being raised as God’s people, disciples, servants, and leaders is vital. Why? Because the next verse, Hebrews 13:7, tells us:

“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.”

Just as our spiritual forebears carried and passed on God’s passion, we too are called to witness his love to the next generation. Who has faithfully spoken God’s Word into your life? People who shared God’s Word with you, who guided you, who passed on God’s heart and inspiration. Cherish them. And I believe some of you are already doing that for others.

Now it’s our turn to join that journey, to step forward and lead the way.

4. A Blessing for the United Women in FaithAs we gather for this United Women in Faith devotional, I want to honor our Women’s Missionary Society. To the president, the officers, and all those who serve tirelessly behind the scenes without recognition—thank you. You are the trailblazers of our church, showing us the way through your service and leadership. Even when it’s hard, may God’s sustaining grace fill you, and may our community’s shared burden lighten your load.

Not a fleeting burst of passion that fades, but a daily, unending flow of spiritual connection, communion, and resonance—may this grace renew you each morning. Let us hold fast to the final promise in Hebrews: 

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

The God who dwells in us and walks with us through every season, never changes. May Yeolin Church’s United Women in Faith—and all brothers and sisters gathered here—walk in step with him, heart to heart, steadfast until the end.

Amen.