Jesus Is Love

In his special Christmas Day sermon, Pastor Josh Choi addressed a common modern dilemma: why have a church service when everyone is so busy with holiday preparations? He observed that Christmas often becomes a "mess"—a festival full of parties and decorations where the guest of honor, Jesus, is missing. Drawing from 1 Corinthians 13, he challenged the congregation to ensure their Christmas was not just a celebration, but an encounter with the literal personification of love.

Beyond the Sentiment: Love as a Choice

Pastor Josh emphasised that biblical love is often misunderstood as merely a romantic feeling or a fleeting emotion. Instead, he defined it as a deliberate commitment of the heart.

"Love, it's not what you feel, it's an act of your will, what you decide to do and who you decide to become."

He reminded the church that while spiritual gifts like prophecy, knowledge, or faith are important tools, they are meaningless without love. In the kingdom of God, love is always placed "on top".

Love is Not Rude: The Lesson of Joseph

A central theme of the message was the specific attribute: "Love is not rude". Pastor Josh illustrated this through the often-overlooked character of Joseph:

• The Legal Right: When Joseph found out Mary was pregnant, he had the legal right and social entitlement to cancel their engagement and put her to public shame.
• The Loving Choice: Operating under "incredible love," Joseph chose to handle the matter quietly and politely. He refused to let anger or a sense of entitlement dictate his actions.
• The Result: Because Joseph was not rude, Jesus was born into a space that was defined by respect and godly politeness.

The Trap of Intimacy

Pastor Josh issued a strong challenge regarding our closest relationships, noting that intimacy is often used as a license to be rude. He argued that when we get close to someone, we often feel entitled to cross boundaries or speak disrespectfully because "we love them".

To illustrate this, he shared a candid "vacuum story" from his own marriage:

• The Intent: Pastor Josh believed he was a "most loving husband" because he would frequently hug and kiss his wife, Yoonah.
• The Reality: Despite these gestures, Yoonah told him she didn't actually feel loved.
• The Lesson: She asked, "How come you don't do vacuum? How come you don't do the cleaning?". Pastor Josh realized that he was insisting on his own way of showing love rather than considering how his wife needed to receive it. He had to "shut up and do the vacuum" to truly demonstrate respect and love.

Pastor Josh clarified that intimacy without respect easily turns into abuse or rudeness. Love is not measured by the intent of the giver, but by how it is received by the other person; if the recipient feels disrespected, the action—regardless of how "close" the relationship is—is not biblical love. As he warned the congregation, "If you do not have a respect, love disappears. Love becomes something else".

Manners, Culture, and the Heart

To illustrate the complexity of respect, Pastor Josh shared examples of how "rudeness" can be cultural:

• The Gift of Books: He shared a story of a Taiwanese neighbor who was offended by receiving a book because the word "book" sounds like the word for "lose" in her culture.
• The Korean "Burp": He noted that in older Korean traditions, burping after a meal was actually a sign of respect to show enjoyment of the food.

While these are cultural mannerisms, Pastor Josh explained that biblical love goes deeper than "behavior modification". It requires a constant heart-check to ask: "Am I valuing this person in my words and my actions?".

The Goal of the Discipleship Journey

The purpose of the Christian life—including reading the Bible, praying, or speaking in tongues—is not to gain more knowledge, but to be transformed. Pastor Josh stated that God is far more interested in who we are becoming than what we are doing for Him.

He suggested a "replacement test" for 1 Corinthians 13: Replace the word "Love" with "Jesus".

• Jesus is patient and kind.
• Jesus is not arrogant or rude.
• Jesus does not insist on His own way.

Conclusion: You Cannot Love Alone

Pastor Josh concluded with a sobering reality: we cannot love difficult people or "enemies" on our own power. We need Jesus—the sacrificial lamb who conquered death—to provide the Holy Spirit's strength to love as He loves.

As the church looks toward 2026, the call is to "put love on top". By embracing the gift of love that God has given, the practice of Christianity ceases to be a burdensome set of regulations and becomes a source of joy and satisfaction