• 우리 모두가 성령받기를 기도하라 (Pray

  설교날짜: 8/06/2023

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 사도행전 8:14-17

  Sunday Worship Service’ Sermon (8-06-2023)

   

  Pray that We All Might Receive the Holy Spirit

  (Acts 8:14-17, 9:31)

  1.     

  The early Jerusalem church prayed earnestly to receive the Holy Spirit from the first hours of living as a church established by the Lord. They valued every single word Jesus gave them, believed in it, and obeyed it. Those who have received Jesus as my Savior live a life of obedience to Jesus. When we live a life of obedience to Jesus, we are able to live a life where God is with us. When we live a life of obedience to Jesus, we live a better life. In other words, when we live a life of obedience to Jesus, we enjoy the grace and blessings that God promised in the Bible.

  2.     

  Before the resurrected Jesus ascended into heaven, he gave one very important command to the 500 people gathered on the hill called the Mount of Olives. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:4-5). “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

   

  I will summarize these words of Jesus and explain who the Holy Spirit is.

  Waiting to receive the Holy Spirit is the first thing saved disciples should do. To be baptized with the Holy Spirit means that Jesus, the Spirit, enters into us. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the baptism given to us by God the Father. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the baptism that God promised to give to all people (Acts 2:17-18). The Holy Spirit is Jesus, the Spirit, who helps us know who Jesus is, teaches us about everything Jesus has done to save us, and helps us obey the commands that Jesus gave to His saved disciples. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the baptism that God the Father gives to those who wait for the Holy Spirit. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the baptism that enables saved disciples to live as witnesses of Jesus.

  After Jesus gave this command and ascended to heaven, 120 people went upstairs to the room where they were staying. And they joined together constantly in prayer to receive the Holy Spirit. (Have you ever prayed to receive the Holy Spirit promised by our Heavenly Father?).

   

  On the 10th day after they prayed together to receive the Holy Spirit, all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. In other words, the Holy Spirit enabled them to preach that Jesus is the Christ with the words of the people of each country who were gathered there. To that extent, God wants the name of Jesus Christ to be preached to all nations and all to be saved. Do you now have a better understanding of how important it is to tell people about the name of Jesus Christ?

   

  After 120 people received the baptism of the Holy Spirit in this way, Peter and John were the first among them to preach that Jesus was the Christ to the crippled man from birth. And the early Jerusalem church (=The churches established by the Lord) began to preach that 'Jesus is the Christ' to the people living in Jerusalem. They became the first people of obedience who began to live to fulfill the words of Jesus who said; "you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

   

  The same words are recorded in today's text. From the first hours that the church in Samaria lived as the church established by the Lord, the apostles first prayed earnestly for them to receive the Holy Spirit. When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people in Samaria also received Jesus as their Savior through Philip and were saved, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. The first thing these two did when they went to Samaria was to pray for the Samaria Christians to receive the Holy Spirit. Because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 8:14-16). We also need to learn to pray for those who repent and believe in Jesus so that they may receive the Holy Spirit.

  Being baptized with water is a baptism that shows repentance for living for only oneself and for disobeying God. Being baptized with the Holy Spirit is a baptism that enables people to turn away from a life of disobedience and a life of living for only oneself, to living a life of obedience to Jesus and to living as a witness of Jesus. This is the life of a person born again of the Holy Spirit.

   

  Peter, John, and the apostles (=disciples of Jesus) of the church the Lord established did not forget what Jesus prioritized and considered most important. They remembered the words Jesus commanded (Acts 1:8) in the first hour when they began to live as the church he had established, before he ascended into heaven. So, when the church the Lord established in Samaria started, Peter and John ran to them and prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit. This attitude is an important attitude to follow in our life of faith. It is an attitude of respecting and obeying each and every word that Jesus gave us. Peter and John laid hands on Christians in Samaria and prayed earnestly for them to receive the Holy Spirit. As a result, all of the Lord's disciples in Samaria received the Holy Spirit.

   

  Then, why did Jesus want his disciples who were saved to receive the Holy Spirit like this? Why did the disciples, including Peter and John, run to the people in Samaria when they heard that they believed in Jesus and were baptized, and pray for them to receive the Holy Spirit? The answer is in Acts 9:31.

   

  Let’s look at Acts 9:31: “Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.”

  This is because when the Holy Spirit comes upon us, three things happen to us (=to the church the Lord has established).

   

  (1) The Holy Spirit enables the church established by the Lord to enjoy a time of peace and strength. When individuals, families, churches, and nations obey the great commission and the great commandment of Jesus, they can enjoy a time of peace and stand firm even during persecution and suffering. The time to obey the great commission and the great commandment of Jesus is the time when we wear God's peace and we stand stronger. However, there is no peace in the time when you are disobeying the great commission and the great commandment of Jesus. It's time to get weaker.

   

  Acts 9:31 records, “The church the Lord established in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace, was strengthened and it grew in numbers.” The reason why the churches established by the Lord able to enjoyed a time of peace, were strengthened and it grew in numbers of people saved every day is because the churches established by the Lord obeyed the great commission and the great commandment of the Lord. The Holy Spirit who came to the churches the Lord established gave them the power to obey like this. The Holy Spirit comes to those who obey Jesus (Acts 5:32). The Holy Spirit comes to us and gives us power to obey the great commission and the great commandment of the Lord.

   

  (2) The Holy Spirit enables us (= the church established by the Lord) to live with a heart that fears the Lord. The Holy Spirit enables us to know who Jesus is. The Holy Spirit enables us to realize the great things Jesus did for our salvation. The Holy Spirit makes us aware of the amazing grace and love of God who sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, for our salvation. In this way, when we realize the grace and love of Jesus with the help of the Holy Spirit, then we begin to live in fear of the Lord who saved us as our Christ and as the living God. And we begin to live by preaching Jesus who saved us to all people.

   

  (3) The Holy Spirit enables us (= the church established by the Lord) to live by the help (with power) of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the one who enables us to tell people every day that Jesus is the Christ. The Holy Spirit empowers us to boldly proclaim to all people that Jesus is the Christ. The Holy Spirit is the one who gives us the power to bring many to the Lord. The Holy Spirit is the one who causes wonders and signs to be done in and through us in the name of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to do what Jesus did. The Holy Spirit is the one who heals the sick through us. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to destroy all the devil's schemes against us and the church established by the Lord in the name of Jesus Christ, and empowers the church established by Jesus to live by preaching the gospel until the end of the world.

   

  'The Lord is the Christ and the living God' - If you want to live as a 'church established by the Lord' who lives according to this faith, you must receive the Holy Spirit. We all must pray to receive the Holy Spirit. Only then can we, the church established by the Lord, stand firm in peace and strength without being shaken at any moment. And you can obey the command of Jesus with your heart in the fear of the Lord. And with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can participate in preaching the gospel. Then, the church established by the Lord will see that the number of people saved increases day by day.

  3.     

  Jesus earnestly wanted Saul to receive the Holy Spirit from the first day he repented and live as the church established by the Lord. So, He poured out to Saul the fullness of his Holy Spirit through Ananias. Ananias also prayed earnestly for Saul to receive the Holy Spirit. And when Ananias prayed earnestly for Saul to receive the Holy Spirit, God poured out the fullness of His Holy Spirit on Saul. And Saul immediately preached to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ with the help of the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:20). When Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment, and his family and relatives heard the gospel preached by Peter, they received Jesus, and they received salvation, and God poured out the Holy Spirit on them from the first day they lived as the church the Lord established (Acts 10:44).

   

  I hope that all of us can pray every day to 'receive the Holy Spirit' according to Jesus' command, 'Wait for the Holy Spirit'. And I hope that we can pray every day to receive the Holy Spirit, relying on the promise of Jesus who said, 'You will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.' Also, I hope that we, like Peter and John, can pray for all our church members and all our children to 'receive the Holy Spirit'. Then, we too will be able to stand firm as the church established by the Lord as in Acts 9:31: “Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.”

   

  “Oh, Our Lord, pour out the Holy Spirit on us all.” Amen!!

   

   

   
  • 
  • 

• 우리 모두가 성령받기를 기도하라 (Pray

  설교날짜: 8/06/2023

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 사도행전 8:14-17

  Sunday Worship Service’ Sermon (8-06-2023)

   

  Pray that We All Might Receive the Holy Spirit

  (Acts 8:14-17, 9:31)

  1.     

  The early Jerusalem church prayed earnestly to receive the Holy Spirit from the first hours of living as a church established by the Lord. They valued every single word Jesus gave them, believed in it, and obeyed it. Those who have received Jesus as my Savior live a life of obedience to Jesus. When we live a life of obedience to Jesus, we are able to live a life where God is with us. When we live a life of obedience to Jesus, we live a better life. In other words, when we live a life of obedience to Jesus, we enjoy the grace and blessings that God promised in the Bible.

  2.     

  Before the resurrected Jesus ascended into heaven, he gave one very important command to the 500 people gathered on the hill called the Mount of Olives. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:4-5). “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

   

  I will summarize these words of Jesus and explain who the Holy Spirit is.

  Waiting to receive the Holy Spirit is the first thing saved disciples should do. To be baptized with the Holy Spirit means that Jesus, the Spirit, enters into us. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the baptism given to us by God the Father. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the baptism that God promised to give to all people (Acts 2:17-18). The Holy Spirit is Jesus, the Spirit, who helps us know who Jesus is, teaches us about everything Jesus has done to save us, and helps us obey the commands that Jesus gave to His saved disciples. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the baptism that God the Father gives to those who wait for the Holy Spirit. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the baptism that enables saved disciples to live as witnesses of Jesus.

  After Jesus gave this command and ascended to heaven, 120 people went upstairs to the room where they were staying. And they joined together constantly in prayer to receive the Holy Spirit. (Have you ever prayed to receive the Holy Spirit promised by our Heavenly Father?).

   

  On the 10th day after they prayed together to receive the Holy Spirit, all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. In other words, the Holy Spirit enabled them to preach that Jesus is the Christ with the words of the people of each country who were gathered there. To that extent, God wants the name of Jesus Christ to be preached to all nations and all to be saved. Do you now have a better understanding of how important it is to tell people about the name of Jesus Christ?

   

  After 120 people received the baptism of the Holy Spirit in this way, Peter and John were the first among them to preach that Jesus was the Christ to the crippled man from birth. And the early Jerusalem church (=The churches established by the Lord) began to preach that 'Jesus is the Christ' to the people living in Jerusalem. They became the first people of obedience who began to live to fulfill the words of Jesus who said; "you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

   

  The same words are recorded in today's text. From the first hours that the church in Samaria lived as the church established by the Lord, the apostles first prayed earnestly for them to receive the Holy Spirit. When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people in Samaria also received Jesus as their Savior through Philip and were saved, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. The first thing these two did when they went to Samaria was to pray for the Samaria Christians to receive the Holy Spirit. Because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 8:14-16). We also need to learn to pray for those who repent and believe in Jesus so that they may receive the Holy Spirit.

  Being baptized with water is a baptism that shows repentance for living for only oneself and for disobeying God. Being baptized with the Holy Spirit is a baptism that enables people to turn away from a life of disobedience and a life of living for only oneself, to living a life of obedience to Jesus and to living as a witness of Jesus. This is the life of a person born again of the Holy Spirit.

   

  Peter, John, and the apostles (=disciples of Jesus) of the church the Lord established did not forget what Jesus prioritized and considered most important. They remembered the words Jesus commanded (Acts 1:8) in the first hour when they began to live as the church he had established, before he ascended into heaven. So, when the church the Lord established in Samaria started, Peter and John ran to them and prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit. This attitude is an important attitude to follow in our life of faith. It is an attitude of respecting and obeying each and every word that Jesus gave us. Peter and John laid hands on Christians in Samaria and prayed earnestly for them to receive the Holy Spirit. As a result, all of the Lord's disciples in Samaria received the Holy Spirit.

   

  Then, why did Jesus want his disciples who were saved to receive the Holy Spirit like this? Why did the disciples, including Peter and John, run to the people in Samaria when they heard that they believed in Jesus and were baptized, and pray for them to receive the Holy Spirit? The answer is in Acts 9:31.

   

  Let’s look at Acts 9:31: “Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.”

  This is because when the Holy Spirit comes upon us, three things happen to us (=to the church the Lord has established).

   

  (1) The Holy Spirit enables the church established by the Lord to enjoy a time of peace and strength. When individuals, families, churches, and nations obey the great commission and the great commandment of Jesus, they can enjoy a time of peace and stand firm even during persecution and suffering. The time to obey the great commission and the great commandment of Jesus is the time when we wear God's peace and we stand stronger. However, there is no peace in the time when you are disobeying the great commission and the great commandment of Jesus. It's time to get weaker.

   

  Acts 9:31 records, “The church the Lord established in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace, was strengthened and it grew in numbers.” The reason why the churches established by the Lord able to enjoyed a time of peace, were strengthened and it grew in numbers of people saved every day is because the churches established by the Lord obeyed the great commission and the great commandment of the Lord. The Holy Spirit who came to the churches the Lord established gave them the power to obey like this. The Holy Spirit comes to those who obey Jesus (Acts 5:32). The Holy Spirit comes to us and gives us power to obey the great commission and the great commandment of the Lord.

   

  (2) The Holy Spirit enables us (= the church established by the Lord) to live with a heart that fears the Lord. The Holy Spirit enables us to know who Jesus is. The Holy Spirit enables us to realize the great things Jesus did for our salvation. The Holy Spirit makes us aware of the amazing grace and love of God who sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, for our salvation. In this way, when we realize the grace and love of Jesus with the help of the Holy Spirit, then we begin to live in fear of the Lord who saved us as our Christ and as the living God. And we begin to live by preaching Jesus who saved us to all people.

   

  (3) The Holy Spirit enables us (= the church established by the Lord) to live by the help (with power) of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the one who enables us to tell people every day that Jesus is the Christ. The Holy Spirit empowers us to boldly proclaim to all people that Jesus is the Christ. The Holy Spirit is the one who gives us the power to bring many to the Lord. The Holy Spirit is the one who causes wonders and signs to be done in and through us in the name of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to do what Jesus did. The Holy Spirit is the one who heals the sick through us. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to destroy all the devil's schemes against us and the church established by the Lord in the name of Jesus Christ, and empowers the church established by Jesus to live by preaching the gospel until the end of the world.

   

  'The Lord is the Christ and the living God' - If you want to live as a 'church established by the Lord' who lives according to this faith, you must receive the Holy Spirit. We all must pray to receive the Holy Spirit. Only then can we, the church established by the Lord, stand firm in peace and strength without being shaken at any moment. And you can obey the command of Jesus with your heart in the fear of the Lord. And with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can participate in preaching the gospel. Then, the church established by the Lord will see that the number of people saved increases day by day.

  3.     

  Jesus earnestly wanted Saul to receive the Holy Spirit from the first day he repented and live as the church established by the Lord. So, He poured out to Saul the fullness of his Holy Spirit through Ananias. Ananias also prayed earnestly for Saul to receive the Holy Spirit. And when Ananias prayed earnestly for Saul to receive the Holy Spirit, God poured out the fullness of His Holy Spirit on Saul. And Saul immediately preached to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ with the help of the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:20). When Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment, and his family and relatives heard the gospel preached by Peter, they received Jesus, and they received salvation, and God poured out the Holy Spirit on them from the first day they lived as the church the Lord established (Acts 10:44).

   

  I hope that all of us can pray every day to 'receive the Holy Spirit' according to Jesus' command, 'Wait for the Holy Spirit'. And I hope that we can pray every day to receive the Holy Spirit, relying on the promise of Jesus who said, 'You will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.' Also, I hope that we, like Peter and John, can pray for all our church members and all our children to 'receive the Holy Spirit'. Then, we too will be able to stand firm as the church established by the Lord as in Acts 9:31: “Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.”

   

  “Oh, Our Lord, pour out the Holy Spirit on us all.” Amen!!

   

   

   
  • 
  • 

우리 모두가 성령받기를 기도하라 (Pray for that We All Might Receive the Holy Spirit)

설교날짜: 8/06/2023

설교자: 김덕신 목사

설교본문: 사도행전 8:14-17

• 예수 그리스도의 이름을 믿음으로 (By Fa

  설교날짜: 7/30/2023

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 사도행전 3:11-19

  Sunday Worship Service’s Sermon (7-30-2023)

   

  By Faith in the Name of Jesus

  (Acts 3:11-19)

  1.     

  Today's text shows the atmosphere of the early Jerusalem church. I hope that when we hear this word today, we compare the atmosphere of the early Jerusalem church with the atmosphere of our church today. And through this, I hope we all realize that these things must appear in the church that the Lord established! The church that the Lord built should actually look like this! And if we truly believe in Jesus as the Christ, these works of faith will happen!

  2.     

  First, the early Jerusalem church was a church that surprised the whole world because of the work of Jesus, our Savior. Do you know that 'Jesus is the Christ and the living God' and that the gathering of the saved people who have this faith is the 'church built by the Lord'? The early Jerusalem church members actually lived according to this faith and lived according to this confession of faith. As a result, the early Jerusalem church was not a church that only showed the weakness of people, but a church that showed the work of the Savior Jesus whom they believed and confessed. God is the God who works 'as we believe’. Acts 3:10 is written as follows: “they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.” In the early Jerusalem church, a miracle occurred in which a 40-year-old man who was lame from birth got up and walked in the name of Jesus Christ through Peter and John. Then, “while the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade” (Verse 11).

   

  In this way, the early Jerusalem church had a miracle in which all the people who saw him were greatly surprised by what the living Jesus did through the disciples of the Lord (=the church built by the Lord). Who would be surprised? Everyone in Jerusalem was amazed. Why were they surprised? People outside the church were amazed at the wonders and signs that Jesus, our Savior, performed through His disciples (= through the church He established).

   

  It is not that nothing happens in the church that the Lord has established because there are few people. The church established by the Lord does not require many people to come together to make great things happen. In the church established by the Lord, whether many or few people gather, amazing things happen when the living Christ Jesus works.

  Then, why does the work of the living Jesus not appear in our life of faith? It is because we do not act according to this faith, this confession of faith, ‘You are the Christ, the living God.’ In other words, as we say, ‘You are the Christ, the living God' – we must live according to this faith and this confession of faith so that our Savior Jesus can work through us. When we become 'the church established by the Lord', our Savior Jesus works through us and within us. Ask yourself, “Am I truly living by this faith now?”  The church where people with this faith gather is the 'church built by the Lord', and Jesus works through those who live by this faith.

   

  Everyone was amazed when they saw a man who was lame for 40 years get up and walk and run after gaining strength in his feet and ankles through Peter and John. At that time, Peter said to the people gathered there, ‘Why does this surprise you?’ (Verse 12). Do you see what kind of faith Peter has toward Jesus? What Peter's words mean is, as he said, 'since Jesus is our Savior, it is only natural that such works of salvation appear when we believe in His name.' Peter explained to the people who were amazed at the miracle that day that it happened by faith in the name of Jesus (Verse 16). And he said that it is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him as you can all see. Do you know what wonders and signs are greater than these? When anyone believes in the name of Jesus Christ, their sins are forgiven and they are saved! When we believe in Jesus Christ, whom God sent to the world as the Savior for our salvation, we receive even greater miracles. Immediately the person receives forgiveness of sins and gains salvation.

   

  Second, the early Christians in Jerusalem boldly proclaimed to people: 'You are the Christ, the living God', 'We are witnesses to these things', and 'Anyone who believes in Jesus will receive forgiveness of sins and be saved'. The church the Lord established was built by this faith, and because the Lord's disciples were clear about this faith, they preached Jesus to a man who was lame from birth without the slightest hesitation. They shared that Jesus is the Christ to all the people living in Jerusalem. They told the Samaritans that Jesus is the Christ. Also, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah

  day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house (Acts 5:42). Even when the officials of the people threatened and warned the early Jerusalem believers not to preach the name of Jesus Christ to people any more, they filled Jerusalem with the name of Jesus. As a result, the number of people saved in the early Jerusalem church increased daily (Acts 2:47). More and more people believed in the Lord and were added to their number (Acts 5:14). Every city to which the gospel was preached was filled with the joy of being saved (Acts 8:4).

   

  So, what’s the story? In a word, the early Jerusalem church became a necessary church for a crying world and a hopeless world. So, they were praised by the people with such words as: “Thank you for preaching this gospel to us”, “You preached this gospel to us, so we received forgiveness of sins and were saved”, “In the name of Jesus Christ, which you have passed on to us, we have been healed of our sickness and have been given a new life.” People highly regarded the 'church established by the Lord' and the 'disciples of the Lord' who preached the gospel to them (Acts 5:13). And people gave glory to God (Acts 2:47).

   

  When the church grows into a church built by the Lord, the people in the local community are happy. When a person like Philip, who is filled with the Holy Spirit, is in the Lord's church, Montgomery County can turn into a happy county. Have the dream of living as a disciple of the Lord who has such a good influence.

   

  Third, in the early Jerusalem church, many wonders and signs appeared through the hands of the apostles by faith in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 5:12). For example, crowds gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed (Acts 5:16). Through the hand of Philip, who preached in Samaria, with shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. (Acts 8:7). In today's text, through the hands of Peter and John, there was a miracle in which a man who was lame from birth was completely healed in the name of Jesus Christ. In this way, the early Jerusalem church was a church in which the authority and power of the name were manifested by faith in the name of Jesus Christ.

   

  (Please look again at verse 16) Peter said to the people who were surprised to see the man who was lame from birth get up and walk and run, “by faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong.”

   

  The early Jerusalem church members did not just confess with their mouths that ‘You are the Christ and the living God.’ They truly believed in the name of Jesus Christ in the living of their lives. Because Peter and John believed in the name of Jesus Christ, they boldly proclaimed to those who were crippled from birth, 'Walk in the name of Jesus Christ’. Peter and John knew that the name of Jesus Christ is the name that gives us salvation, so they believed with certainty that Jesus Christ would heal the crippled man.

   

  Then, how did these things appear in the early Jerusalem church? How did the early Jerusalem Christians live such a life of faith?

   

  (1) The work that Jesus does through us and within us begins with our ceaseless prayer. Peter and John had a time and a place where they prayed together (Acts 3:1). The time was 3:00 PM, and the place was the temple. Here, the saying that they set the time and place for prayer means that they met together to pray at that time and place, and they continued to pray with persistent prayers and with unceasing prayers. We become disciples of the Lord who are filled with the Holy Spirit who are used by the hands of Jesus through this prayer without stopping.

   

  (2) The work that Jesus does through us and within us happens through our obedience. The early Jerusalem believers obeyed the great commission given by Jesus. And Jesus made wonders and signs happen through the church built by the Lord when that church built by the Lord obeyed the great commission (Matthew 28:19-20) and the great commandment (Matthew 22:37-39) Jesus gave them. Jesus, our Savior, causes surprising and amazing miracles to happen when the church He has established obeys His great commission and the great commandment. However, if the disciples of the Lord do not obey the great commission and the great commandment of the Lord, they cannot see the miracle of God working. A church without God's miracles working is a disobedient church to God, a dead church.

   

  (3) The work of Jesus through us and in us happens when we live only by faith. What kind of faith is that? It is a faith that believes that 'Jesus is the Christ, the living God' (Matthew 16:16). The early Jerusalem church members lived and acted by this faith. If you live by this faith, the living Jesus works like verse 16 describes. If you live by this faith, you will receive forgiveness of sins and salvation beyond physical healing. What kind of another faith is that? It is a faith that surely believes that God is always with us, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:20). God is the God who works 'as we believe’.

  3.     

  As you listened to today's message, did you see what the Lord's church must be restored to, and what the Lord's disciples must be restored to? Have we come to realize what we should seek and how to live a life of faith? I hope that we all are to be the church built by the Lord who believe in the name of Jesus Christ. Also, I hope that we all are to be the church established by the Lord who live by the faith that 'Jesus is the Christ and the living God.'

   

  (Closing prayer) Dear God, help us to be the church built by the Lord who believes in the authority and power of the name of Jesus Christ. Help us to become the Holy Spirit-filled church established by the Lord. Help us to become a church built by the Lord who lives according to the faith that 'You are the Christ and the living God' and lives according to this confession of faith. May we become the church established by the Lord to 'Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that You have commanded.'

  Help us to be a church built by the Lord, where we love God with all our heart, with all our strength, and with all our mind, and love our neighbors as ourselves. Help us to become a church established by the Lord who 'stretches out our hands to heal and perform wonders and signs through the name of Jesus Christ'. Help us to be a church built by the Lord that fills this city with the joy of Jesus Christ by preaching Christ to all people in this city. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen!

   
  • 
  • 

• 예수 그리스도의 이름을 믿음으로 (By Fa

  설교날짜: 7/30/2023

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 사도행전 3:11-19

  Sunday Worship Service’s Sermon (7-30-2023)

   

  By Faith in the Name of Jesus

  (Acts 3:11-19)

  1.     

  Today's text shows the atmosphere of the early Jerusalem church. I hope that when we hear this word today, we compare the atmosphere of the early Jerusalem church with the atmosphere of our church today. And through this, I hope we all realize that these things must appear in the church that the Lord established! The church that the Lord built should actually look like this! And if we truly believe in Jesus as the Christ, these works of faith will happen!

  2.     

  First, the early Jerusalem church was a church that surprised the whole world because of the work of Jesus, our Savior. Do you know that 'Jesus is the Christ and the living God' and that the gathering of the saved people who have this faith is the 'church built by the Lord'? The early Jerusalem church members actually lived according to this faith and lived according to this confession of faith. As a result, the early Jerusalem church was not a church that only showed the weakness of people, but a church that showed the work of the Savior Jesus whom they believed and confessed. God is the God who works 'as we believe’. Acts 3:10 is written as follows: “they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.” In the early Jerusalem church, a miracle occurred in which a 40-year-old man who was lame from birth got up and walked in the name of Jesus Christ through Peter and John. Then, “while the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade” (Verse 11).

   

  In this way, the early Jerusalem church had a miracle in which all the people who saw him were greatly surprised by what the living Jesus did through the disciples of the Lord (=the church built by the Lord). Who would be surprised? Everyone in Jerusalem was amazed. Why were they surprised? People outside the church were amazed at the wonders and signs that Jesus, our Savior, performed through His disciples (= through the church He established).

   

  It is not that nothing happens in the church that the Lord has established because there are few people. The church established by the Lord does not require many people to come together to make great things happen. In the church established by the Lord, whether many or few people gather, amazing things happen when the living Christ Jesus works.

  Then, why does the work of the living Jesus not appear in our life of faith? It is because we do not act according to this faith, this confession of faith, ‘You are the Christ, the living God.’ In other words, as we say, ‘You are the Christ, the living God' – we must live according to this faith and this confession of faith so that our Savior Jesus can work through us. When we become 'the church established by the Lord', our Savior Jesus works through us and within us. Ask yourself, “Am I truly living by this faith now?”  The church where people with this faith gather is the 'church built by the Lord', and Jesus works through those who live by this faith.

   

  Everyone was amazed when they saw a man who was lame for 40 years get up and walk and run after gaining strength in his feet and ankles through Peter and John. At that time, Peter said to the people gathered there, ‘Why does this surprise you?’ (Verse 12). Do you see what kind of faith Peter has toward Jesus? What Peter's words mean is, as he said, 'since Jesus is our Savior, it is only natural that such works of salvation appear when we believe in His name.' Peter explained to the people who were amazed at the miracle that day that it happened by faith in the name of Jesus (Verse 16). And he said that it is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him as you can all see. Do you know what wonders and signs are greater than these? When anyone believes in the name of Jesus Christ, their sins are forgiven and they are saved! When we believe in Jesus Christ, whom God sent to the world as the Savior for our salvation, we receive even greater miracles. Immediately the person receives forgiveness of sins and gains salvation.

   

  Second, the early Christians in Jerusalem boldly proclaimed to people: 'You are the Christ, the living God', 'We are witnesses to these things', and 'Anyone who believes in Jesus will receive forgiveness of sins and be saved'. The church the Lord established was built by this faith, and because the Lord's disciples were clear about this faith, they preached Jesus to a man who was lame from birth without the slightest hesitation. They shared that Jesus is the Christ to all the people living in Jerusalem. They told the Samaritans that Jesus is the Christ. Also, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah

  day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house (Acts 5:42). Even when the officials of the people threatened and warned the early Jerusalem believers not to preach the name of Jesus Christ to people any more, they filled Jerusalem with the name of Jesus. As a result, the number of people saved in the early Jerusalem church increased daily (Acts 2:47). More and more people believed in the Lord and were added to their number (Acts 5:14). Every city to which the gospel was preached was filled with the joy of being saved (Acts 8:4).

   

  So, what’s the story? In a word, the early Jerusalem church became a necessary church for a crying world and a hopeless world. So, they were praised by the people with such words as: “Thank you for preaching this gospel to us”, “You preached this gospel to us, so we received forgiveness of sins and were saved”, “In the name of Jesus Christ, which you have passed on to us, we have been healed of our sickness and have been given a new life.” People highly regarded the 'church established by the Lord' and the 'disciples of the Lord' who preached the gospel to them (Acts 5:13). And people gave glory to God (Acts 2:47).

   

  When the church grows into a church built by the Lord, the people in the local community are happy. When a person like Philip, who is filled with the Holy Spirit, is in the Lord's church, Montgomery County can turn into a happy county. Have the dream of living as a disciple of the Lord who has such a good influence.

   

  Third, in the early Jerusalem church, many wonders and signs appeared through the hands of the apostles by faith in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 5:12). For example, crowds gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed (Acts 5:16). Through the hand of Philip, who preached in Samaria, with shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. (Acts 8:7). In today's text, through the hands of Peter and John, there was a miracle in which a man who was lame from birth was completely healed in the name of Jesus Christ. In this way, the early Jerusalem church was a church in which the authority and power of the name were manifested by faith in the name of Jesus Christ.

   

  (Please look again at verse 16) Peter said to the people who were surprised to see the man who was lame from birth get up and walk and run, “by faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong.”

   

  The early Jerusalem church members did not just confess with their mouths that ‘You are the Christ and the living God.’ They truly believed in the name of Jesus Christ in the living of their lives. Because Peter and John believed in the name of Jesus Christ, they boldly proclaimed to those who were crippled from birth, 'Walk in the name of Jesus Christ’. Peter and John knew that the name of Jesus Christ is the name that gives us salvation, so they believed with certainty that Jesus Christ would heal the crippled man.

   

  Then, how did these things appear in the early Jerusalem church? How did the early Jerusalem Christians live such a life of faith?

   

  (1) The work that Jesus does through us and within us begins with our ceaseless prayer. Peter and John had a time and a place where they prayed together (Acts 3:1). The time was 3:00 PM, and the place was the temple. Here, the saying that they set the time and place for prayer means that they met together to pray at that time and place, and they continued to pray with persistent prayers and with unceasing prayers. We become disciples of the Lord who are filled with the Holy Spirit who are used by the hands of Jesus through this prayer without stopping.

   

  (2) The work that Jesus does through us and within us happens through our obedience. The early Jerusalem believers obeyed the great commission given by Jesus. And Jesus made wonders and signs happen through the church built by the Lord when that church built by the Lord obeyed the great commission (Matthew 28:19-20) and the great commandment (Matthew 22:37-39) Jesus gave them. Jesus, our Savior, causes surprising and amazing miracles to happen when the church He has established obeys His great commission and the great commandment. However, if the disciples of the Lord do not obey the great commission and the great commandment of the Lord, they cannot see the miracle of God working. A church without God's miracles working is a disobedient church to God, a dead church.

   

  (3) The work of Jesus through us and in us happens when we live only by faith. What kind of faith is that? It is a faith that believes that 'Jesus is the Christ, the living God' (Matthew 16:16). The early Jerusalem church members lived and acted by this faith. If you live by this faith, the living Jesus works like verse 16 describes. If you live by this faith, you will receive forgiveness of sins and salvation beyond physical healing. What kind of another faith is that? It is a faith that surely believes that God is always with us, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:20). God is the God who works 'as we believe’.

  3.     

  As you listened to today's message, did you see what the Lord's church must be restored to, and what the Lord's disciples must be restored to? Have we come to realize what we should seek and how to live a life of faith? I hope that we all are to be the church built by the Lord who believe in the name of Jesus Christ. Also, I hope that we all are to be the church established by the Lord who live by the faith that 'Jesus is the Christ and the living God.'

   

  (Closing prayer) Dear God, help us to be the church built by the Lord who believes in the authority and power of the name of Jesus Christ. Help us to become the Holy Spirit-filled church established by the Lord. Help us to become a church built by the Lord who lives according to the faith that 'You are the Christ and the living God' and lives according to this confession of faith. May we become the church established by the Lord to 'Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that You have commanded.'

  Help us to be a church built by the Lord, where we love God with all our heart, with all our strength, and with all our mind, and love our neighbors as ourselves. Help us to become a church established by the Lord who 'stretches out our hands to heal and perform wonders and signs through the name of Jesus Christ'. Help us to be a church built by the Lord that fills this city with the joy of Jesus Christ by preaching Christ to all people in this city. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen!

   
  • 
  • 

예수 그리스도의 이름을 믿음으로 (By Faith in the Name of Jesus)

설교날짜: 7/30/2023

설교자: 김덕신 목사

설교본문: 사도행전 3:11-19

• 너는 내 이름을 위해 택한 나의 그릇이라 (

  설교날짜: 7/23/2023

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 사도행전 9:10-22

  Sunday Worship Service’s Sermon (7-23-2023)

  
  

  You are My Chosen Instrument to Proclaim My Name

  (Acts 9:10-22)

  
  

  1.     

  “You go!”, “You go into your local community, and make everyone a disciple of Jesus” (Matthew 28:19-20).

   

  This command of Jesus is still the word that our Savior Jesus gives to the church He established and to His disciples. The word our Lord still tells us is, “Go and make disciples of all nations.” There is one reason for empty churches, declining churches, and dying churches. It is the result of disobeying the command of the Lord who said, “You go into the world and make disciples of all people.”

   

  2.     

  Last Sunday, we saw that the Holy Spirit led Philip to Samaria. And we saw the Holy Spirit again telling him to 'go' from there to the Ethiopian eunuch in the wilderness of Gaza. We also saw that the Holy Spirit told him to go to many people in Azotus. In today's text we see that Jesus called Ananias, who lived in Damascus, to go and He also commanded Saul to go.

   

  Here, we see the Holy Spirit who continues to send the Lord's Church into the world, and the disciples of the Lord who are led by the Holy Spirit to go and share the gospel with the world. This is the overall pattern of Acts.

   

  (Let’s look at verses 10-12) In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!" "Yes, Lord," he answered. The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.

  In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight." And the Lord told him where Saul was, and said, 'Go' to the repentant Saul.

  A person who has met Jesus and repented needs a good spiritual leader (= a good church). Jesus, who transformed Saul, entrusted the work to Ananias.

   

  In fact, this Saul was a person that all Christians at the time were very fearful of and really disapproved of. This man was a person that had done much harm to the Lord’s church members in Jerusalem. He was a sympathizer in Stephen's martyrdom. He is the one who went to the disciples of Jesus, bound them, brought them to Jerusalem, and imprisoned them in order to destroy the church. On the day that Saul met Jesus on the way to Damascus, he was breathing out murderous threats to arrest the Lord's disciples in Damascus.

   

  Ananias, aware of Saul's notoriety, was reluctant to obey the Lord's command to 'go' to Saul. (Let’s look at verses 13-14) “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”

  In other words, he was saying: ‘I don't want to go to this person. I am afraid to go to this person.’ But Jesus commanded Ananias once more clearly to ‘go.’ Then, Jesus told Ananias about His thoughts and plans for Saul.

   

  (Let’s look at verses 15-16) “But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

   

  The God who created us and sent us into the world has a wonderful plan for each of us. What could it be? ‘It is that this person (=You are) is the Lord’s instrument chosen by God to spread the name of Jesus Christ.’

   

  Dear Sisters and Brothers, when we hear God's plans and thoughts for us, don't we experience the thrill in our hearts? Was this just God's plan only for Saul? No. This is God's plan and thought for all the people He created and sent into the world. Jesus wanted to save Saul, who once persecuted the Lord's church and disciples, and make him a disciple of Jesus who would preach the gospel to the ends of the earth. The Lord wanted to show him how much he must suffer for the Lord’s name. Even when we evangelize to people, God can turn people who reject Jesus into people like Saul. God's thoughts are higher and greater than man's thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). Even if they were people who acted like enemies to the Lord's church and disciples in the past, God can change them in order to accomplish amazing world mission work. I believe that God will use you and me like this.

   

  How do you and I want to live when we hear these amazing plans and thoughts of God for us? If you and I were Ananias, what would we have done that day? When Ananias heard these words of the Lord, he put down all his thoughts, feelings, and prejudices about Saul, and went to Saul, following Jesus' command to go to him. This is the life of the Lord's church. This is the life of the disciples of the Lord.

   

  (Let’s look at verse 17) “Then Ananias went to the house and entered it.”

   

  This act of obeying the Lord's command to 'go' here seems like a very small thing, but it was a great change in action. It seems like a very small thing, but it was a tremendous act of courage and faith and it shows a big life change. This means that he began to live as a disciple of the Lord's church.

   

  When was the day our Lord was most pleased with each of us in our lives? To be sure, this is the day when we finally went out boldly into the world sharing the gospel. When was the day our Lord was most happy in Ananias' life? It must have been the day when Ananias boldly went to Saul with the word given by the Lord. Ananias probably prayed a lot about this meeting - even on the way to Judah's house where Saul was staying.

   

  In verse 17, Ananias finally met Saul. And when Ananias met Saul for the first time, he called him 'Brother Saul'.  Ananias accepted Saul, whom he had previously regarded as his enemy, as a 'brother in Christ’ and as a spiritual member of God's family. And he placed his hands on Saul with the heart of a brother in the Lord and prayed: “The Lord--Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here--has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. And Saul was baptized. And Ananias taught Saul God's plan for him. In other words, Ananias taught Saul to live as an evangelist from the first day he believed in Jesus as the Savior.

   

  As a result, Saul, who had previously worked to destroy the church, who had persecuted and imprisoned the Lord’s disciples while breathing out murderous threats, at once began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. (See verse 20) From the first day he received Jesus as his Savior, he began visiting Jews and preaching that Jesus is the Christ. He began to live with this faith and this confession of faith, 'You are the Christ, the living God.' He became a Holy Spirit-filled evangelist just as Ananias prayed for him. Likewise, a saved person does not remain in what he had previously believed about Jesus, but he now goes to preach the gospel to others for their salvation. The church established by the Lord, a group of people who confess that “You are the Christ and the living God”, boldly testify that Jesus is the Christ.

   

  (Let’s look at verses 20-21) “At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. All those who heard him were astonished and asked, isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?”

   

  If anyone knows that Jesus is the Christ, even the person who previously tried to destroy those who called this name, immediately becomes someone who proclaims that Jesus is the Christ. The biggest change in my life after believing in Jesus as my Savior (=the biggest change that surprised me and other friends when they saw me) was that I became a person who preached that Jesus is God. This is believing in Jesus. Didn't Jesus say, “Come, follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people?” (Matthew 4:19)

   

  I pray that such an amazing change will happen to all of us while living a life of faith in our church. Indeed, those who believe that 'Jesus is the Christ and the living God', those who persecute and hate those who believe in Jesus, like Saul, repent and immediately go to the world and begin to tell people that Jesus is the Savior. This is the power of the gospel.

   

  (Let’s look at verse 22) “Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.”

  Saul preached more powerfully as time passed. In the early Jerusalem church, all church members participated in sharing the gospel from the first day. This is the thing we should learn. This is the power of the gospel. Knowing that Jesus saved us is the happiest thing to us. Believing in Jesus as our Savior is the happiest thing to us. Those who are saved cannot endure without telling people about Jesus who saved them. It is because we know very well how precious the grace and love for which we were saved is.

  3.     

  Hold on to God's thoughts and plans for us this morning.

  “This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name in the world (Acts 9:15).”

   

  Like Saul, I hope that we will live as instruments chosen by the Lord to tell people about the Lord who saved us.  Also, I hope that we will become people like Ananias whom our Lord can entrust to those who repent and return to the Lord. In other words, I hope that we will grow up as disciples of the Lord like Ananias, who pray for the persons God has entrusted to us to be filled with the Holy Spirit, baptizing them, teaching them to obey everything the Lord has commanded us, helping them join their church family, and helping them grow as disciples of the Lord who participate in the gospel from the first day, they receive Jesus to the day they stand before the Lord. Amen!!

   
  • 
  • 

• 너는 내 이름을 위해 택한 나의 그릇이라 (

  설교날짜: 7/23/2023

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 사도행전 9:10-22

  Sunday Worship Service’s Sermon (7-23-2023)

  
  

  You are My Chosen Instrument to Proclaim My Name

  (Acts 9:10-22)

  
  

  1.     

  “You go!”, “You go into your local community, and make everyone a disciple of Jesus” (Matthew 28:19-20).

   

  This command of Jesus is still the word that our Savior Jesus gives to the church He established and to His disciples. The word our Lord still tells us is, “Go and make disciples of all nations.” There is one reason for empty churches, declining churches, and dying churches. It is the result of disobeying the command of the Lord who said, “You go into the world and make disciples of all people.”

   

  2.     

  Last Sunday, we saw that the Holy Spirit led Philip to Samaria. And we saw the Holy Spirit again telling him to 'go' from there to the Ethiopian eunuch in the wilderness of Gaza. We also saw that the Holy Spirit told him to go to many people in Azotus. In today's text we see that Jesus called Ananias, who lived in Damascus, to go and He also commanded Saul to go.

   

  Here, we see the Holy Spirit who continues to send the Lord's Church into the world, and the disciples of the Lord who are led by the Holy Spirit to go and share the gospel with the world. This is the overall pattern of Acts.

   

  (Let’s look at verses 10-12) In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!" "Yes, Lord," he answered. The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.

  In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight." And the Lord told him where Saul was, and said, 'Go' to the repentant Saul.

  A person who has met Jesus and repented needs a good spiritual leader (= a good church). Jesus, who transformed Saul, entrusted the work to Ananias.

   

  In fact, this Saul was a person that all Christians at the time were very fearful of and really disapproved of. This man was a person that had done much harm to the Lord’s church members in Jerusalem. He was a sympathizer in Stephen's martyrdom. He is the one who went to the disciples of Jesus, bound them, brought them to Jerusalem, and imprisoned them in order to destroy the church. On the day that Saul met Jesus on the way to Damascus, he was breathing out murderous threats to arrest the Lord's disciples in Damascus.

   

  Ananias, aware of Saul's notoriety, was reluctant to obey the Lord's command to 'go' to Saul. (Let’s look at verses 13-14) “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”

  In other words, he was saying: ‘I don't want to go to this person. I am afraid to go to this person.’ But Jesus commanded Ananias once more clearly to ‘go.’ Then, Jesus told Ananias about His thoughts and plans for Saul.

   

  (Let’s look at verses 15-16) “But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

   

  The God who created us and sent us into the world has a wonderful plan for each of us. What could it be? ‘It is that this person (=You are) is the Lord’s instrument chosen by God to spread the name of Jesus Christ.’

   

  Dear Sisters and Brothers, when we hear God's plans and thoughts for us, don't we experience the thrill in our hearts? Was this just God's plan only for Saul? No. This is God's plan and thought for all the people He created and sent into the world. Jesus wanted to save Saul, who once persecuted the Lord's church and disciples, and make him a disciple of Jesus who would preach the gospel to the ends of the earth. The Lord wanted to show him how much he must suffer for the Lord’s name. Even when we evangelize to people, God can turn people who reject Jesus into people like Saul. God's thoughts are higher and greater than man's thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). Even if they were people who acted like enemies to the Lord's church and disciples in the past, God can change them in order to accomplish amazing world mission work. I believe that God will use you and me like this.

   

  How do you and I want to live when we hear these amazing plans and thoughts of God for us? If you and I were Ananias, what would we have done that day? When Ananias heard these words of the Lord, he put down all his thoughts, feelings, and prejudices about Saul, and went to Saul, following Jesus' command to go to him. This is the life of the Lord's church. This is the life of the disciples of the Lord.

   

  (Let’s look at verse 17) “Then Ananias went to the house and entered it.”

   

  This act of obeying the Lord's command to 'go' here seems like a very small thing, but it was a great change in action. It seems like a very small thing, but it was a tremendous act of courage and faith and it shows a big life change. This means that he began to live as a disciple of the Lord's church.

   

  When was the day our Lord was most pleased with each of us in our lives? To be sure, this is the day when we finally went out boldly into the world sharing the gospel. When was the day our Lord was most happy in Ananias' life? It must have been the day when Ananias boldly went to Saul with the word given by the Lord. Ananias probably prayed a lot about this meeting - even on the way to Judah's house where Saul was staying.

   

  In verse 17, Ananias finally met Saul. And when Ananias met Saul for the first time, he called him 'Brother Saul'.  Ananias accepted Saul, whom he had previously regarded as his enemy, as a 'brother in Christ’ and as a spiritual member of God's family. And he placed his hands on Saul with the heart of a brother in the Lord and prayed: “The Lord--Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here--has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. And Saul was baptized. And Ananias taught Saul God's plan for him. In other words, Ananias taught Saul to live as an evangelist from the first day he believed in Jesus as the Savior.

   

  As a result, Saul, who had previously worked to destroy the church, who had persecuted and imprisoned the Lord’s disciples while breathing out murderous threats, at once began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. (See verse 20) From the first day he received Jesus as his Savior, he began visiting Jews and preaching that Jesus is the Christ. He began to live with this faith and this confession of faith, 'You are the Christ, the living God.' He became a Holy Spirit-filled evangelist just as Ananias prayed for him. Likewise, a saved person does not remain in what he had previously believed about Jesus, but he now goes to preach the gospel to others for their salvation. The church established by the Lord, a group of people who confess that “You are the Christ and the living God”, boldly testify that Jesus is the Christ.

   

  (Let’s look at verses 20-21) “At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. All those who heard him were astonished and asked, isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?”

   

  If anyone knows that Jesus is the Christ, even the person who previously tried to destroy those who called this name, immediately becomes someone who proclaims that Jesus is the Christ. The biggest change in my life after believing in Jesus as my Savior (=the biggest change that surprised me and other friends when they saw me) was that I became a person who preached that Jesus is God. This is believing in Jesus. Didn't Jesus say, “Come, follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people?” (Matthew 4:19)

   

  I pray that such an amazing change will happen to all of us while living a life of faith in our church. Indeed, those who believe that 'Jesus is the Christ and the living God', those who persecute and hate those who believe in Jesus, like Saul, repent and immediately go to the world and begin to tell people that Jesus is the Savior. This is the power of the gospel.

   

  (Let’s look at verse 22) “Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.”

  Saul preached more powerfully as time passed. In the early Jerusalem church, all church members participated in sharing the gospel from the first day. This is the thing we should learn. This is the power of the gospel. Knowing that Jesus saved us is the happiest thing to us. Believing in Jesus as our Savior is the happiest thing to us. Those who are saved cannot endure without telling people about Jesus who saved them. It is because we know very well how precious the grace and love for which we were saved is.

  3.     

  Hold on to God's thoughts and plans for us this morning.

  “This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name in the world (Acts 9:15).”

   

  Like Saul, I hope that we will live as instruments chosen by the Lord to tell people about the Lord who saved us.  Also, I hope that we will become people like Ananias whom our Lord can entrust to those who repent and return to the Lord. In other words, I hope that we will grow up as disciples of the Lord like Ananias, who pray for the persons God has entrusted to us to be filled with the Holy Spirit, baptizing them, teaching them to obey everything the Lord has commanded us, helping them join their church family, and helping them grow as disciples of the Lord who participate in the gospel from the first day, they receive Jesus to the day they stand before the Lord. Amen!!

   
  • 
  • 

너는 내 이름을 위해 택한 나의 그릇이라 (You are My Chosen Instrument to Proclaim My Name)

설교날짜: 7/23/2023

설교자: 김덕신 목사

설교본문: 사도행전 9:10-22

• 생명나무와 같은 주님의 제자로 살기 (Liv

  설교날짜: 7/16/2023

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 잠언 11:30, 사도행전 8:26-40

  Sunday Worship Service’ Sermon (7-16-2023)

  Living as a Disciple of the Lord Like the Tree of Life

  (Proverbs 11:30, Acts 8:26-40)

  1.     

  Have you ever learned from someone that a life of faith is like this? Is your life of faith based on learning from Jesus? Or is your life of faith based on doing as you see fit? Since the life of faith is related to our salvation, we must learn about it while reading the Bible. And the life of faith must be learned from Jesus. Also, the life of faith must be learned from the ancestors of faith who are written about in the Scriptures. Therefore, if you want to live a good life of faith, you must read the Bible. If you don't, you can become a false Christian. If you don't, it will be like the blind leading the blind. Today's text shows us the religious life of the early Jerusalem church members. Through these words, we will be able to learn how to live a life of faith. If my life of faith is different from the life of the believers of the early Jerusalem Church written about in the Bible, then we just need to learn from their life of faith as it is recorded in the Bible. If the appearance of our church is different from the early Jerusalem church written in the Scriptures, we can learn from the early Jerusalem church and imitate it.

  2.     

  The early Jerusalem church members knew why they existed, their purpose and mission. They completely went all-in on Jesus' Great Commission, "Go and make disciples." And the Book of Acts records the names of ‘those who evangelized’ and who obeyed Jesus’ commission like these: Peter, John, Stephen, Philip, Paul and Barnabas. Philip, whom we meet in today's text, is one of the seven men who helped the relief ministry in the early Jerusalem church. However, Philip did not stay only in that ministry. Among the early Jerusalem church members, he was the first to go down to Samaria and tell the gospel. He expanded the field of evangelism that had stayed in the center of Jerusalem to Samaria.

  Philip, the man of the Spirit, obeyed the very word that Jesus told his disciples before he ascended to heaven; “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1: 8). That obedience was not accomplished when the early Jerusalem church or the church members were at peace. Philip obeyed this commission given by Jesus when the church was being severely persecuted, when the church members were in great sorrow due to the martyrdom of their fellow disciple Stephen, when Saul was arresting and imprisoning the church members, when the church members were scattered by great persecution. The early Jerusalem church members, including Philip, did not stop preaching the gospel even during these difficult times. That is because the work of the Holy Spirit is to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth. Who can stop the work of the Holy Spirit? And, because that is the purpose of the church's existence on this earth. A church that does not evangelize is no longer the Lord's church. A disciple who does not evangelize is no longer a disciple of the Lord. We, too, must learn the faith to go out into the community and evangelize to people.

   

  Who will evangelize? The person who has Jesus in him evangelizes. Peter said to a man who had been lame from birth, “What I do have I give you,” and he gave Jesus to that crippled man (Acts 3:6). Those who believe that Jesus is Christ and the living God boldly evangelize. The person who lives with Jesus Christ as their Savior in him evangelizes. A person who is filled with thrill and joy in being saved evangelizes. Those who really have Christ in them (Persons who are saved) cannot endure without preaching about Jesus who saved them. When the officials of the people threatened Peter and John 'not to speak or teach at all to people in the name of Jesus' (Acts 4:18), they replied, “We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). This means 'Because Jesus forgave a sinner like me and gave eternal life, I have no choice but to tell people about Jesus who gave me this grace'!! Therefore, a person who evangelizes is a real disciple of Jesus. The church that evangelizes is the authentic Lord's church.

   

  Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to the people. This is the mission and responsibility of the disciple of the Lord. This is the purpose of the existence of the Lord's Church. In this way, the early Jerusalem church members knew that the most precious thing that the disciples of the Lord could give to all people in the world was only Jesus Christ. In this way, when Philip “proclaimed the Messiah” to the people of Samaria, the people living in Samaria listened to Philip’s words, saw the signs he performed, and obeyed with one heart. There was great joy in that city because the unclean spirits that had possessed many people came out with a loud cry, and many paralytics and crippled people were healed.

   

  Who is Christ and how did these miracles happen when Philip preached? Because Jesus Christ is our Savior, the living God, and the Almighty God. Because the name of Jesus Christ is the name that gives us salvation, the name that gives us eternal life, the name that gives us forgiveness of sins, and the name that heals and renews us. Therefore, ‘evangelism’, which spreads ‘Christ’ to people, is such a precious thing. The name of Jesus Christ fills the people who hear the name, the family, and the city with the joy of God's salvation.

   

  While Philip was preaching 'Christ' to people in Samaria, an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road - the desert road - that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (Acts 8:26) Here, ‘Gaza’ was a city on the Mediterranean coast and was on the way to Egypt on the way to the wilderness. There was a road that passed through the city of Gaza that led to Egypt and Africa. At least from Samaria to Gaza, it was a wilderness road that was about 100 km (about 50 miles) away, and it was a dangerous road. Philip started out immediately. Philip was a man of the Spirit who obeyed Acts 1:8. He was one who obeyed Jesus' great commission (Matthew 28:19-20) and the great commandments (Matthew 22:37-39).

   

  Just as the angel of the Lord said, Philip ‘got up and went and saw’ there was a prepared man waiting for the evangelist. Even when we evangelize, God will lead us to the prepared people who are waiting for the evangelist. He was an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, the Queen of Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship God and was on his way home. At that time, the Holy Spirit said to Philip (v. 29), "Go to that chariot and stay near it."  Please note verse 29. When Philip evangelized, he was not alone. Who was by his side when he shared the gospel in the wilderness? Yes, the Holy Spirit worked with Philip. Likewise, when we evangelize, Jesus, who promised “surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age,” is with us and works through us.

   

  Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah 53. Isaiah 53 contains the prophecies of the coming Messiah. "Do you understand what you are reading" Philip asked. "How can I," he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” There are people around us like this who want to know Jesus, but there is no one to teach them or explain the gospel to them. There are people looking for someone to teach and explain the gospel to them. Evangelism is going and finding such people. Evangelism is going out and waiting for such people.

   

  The eunuch invited Philip to come up and sit with him. And Philip asked him what he was curious about. “Who is this ‘suffering servant’ referring to here, like a lamb being led to the slaughter?”  Philip said, “This servant who suffered was Jesus who came to the world for our salvation”, and he preached Jesus Christ to him. On that day, the eunuch received the Jesus whom Philip preached about as his savior.  He was baptized as the first step in beginning to live as a disciple of Jesus. And he went on his way rejoicing. In verse 39, it is written that 'the eunuch went on his way rejoicing'. In this way, those who are saved by Jesus are rejoicing and happy.

   

  Our God, with eyes like flames, still seeks out people to save and sends His disciples to that place, whether it is in the wilderness or in a valley. And God wants us to make them disciples of Jesus, baptize them, and teach them to obey all that the Lord has commanded. Because God wants everyone in the world to be saved.

   

  The next act of Philip is written in the Scriptures as follows,

  "Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea." (Verse 40) What does this mean? It means that the early Jerusalem believers continued to participate in the gospel by holding on to the Holy Spirit from the first day. They were led by the Holy Spirit to go into the world, making disciples, baptizing them, and teaching them to obey all that the Lord had commanded them to do. This is the appearance of the early Jerusalem church. This is the religious life of the disciples of the early Jerusalem church who confessed that the Lord is the Christ and the living God.

  3.     

  The early Jerusalem church members and Philip lived as disciples of the Lord like a “tree of life (= like a tree that bears the fruit of life).” They gained many people by obeying the commands and commandments of the Lord. Through the evangelism of one Holy Spirit-filled man - Philip, a man, a city, and even a nation turned to Jesus and was saved. The Lord's disciples and the Lord's church that gain so many people are called 'the Lord's disciples who are like the tree of life, the Lord's church which is like the tree of life.'

   

  "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise (Proverbs 11:30)."

   

  This passage means that saved people are like the tree of life which bears fruit, thus “gaining people.” This means that the Lord's church and disciples are like the tree of life and win many lives. Gaining people is the wisest thing to do. To that extent, believing in Jesus and participating in evangelism is living a life at a much higher level. Jesus is like the tree of life because He saved your lives, and He saved my life. Peter, Paul, the early Christians in Jerusalem, and Philip gained many people because they were “like the tree of life.” A tree that does not bear the fruit of life is a dead tree. From today to the end, I bless you to live as disciples of the Lord like the tree of life.  Amen.

   

  (Closing prayer) Dear God, please help our church, which just started its 6th year, to become a church filled with the Holy Spirit and like a tree of life. Help us to become disciples of Jesus, who are like the tree of life. So, help us save, build, and gain countless people in our local community. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen

   

   
  • 
  • 

• 생명나무와 같은 주님의 제자로 살기 (Liv

  설교날짜: 7/16/2023

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 잠언 11:30, 사도행전 8:26-40

  Sunday Worship Service’ Sermon (7-16-2023)

  Living as a Disciple of the Lord Like the Tree of Life

  (Proverbs 11:30, Acts 8:26-40)

  1.     

  Have you ever learned from someone that a life of faith is like this? Is your life of faith based on learning from Jesus? Or is your life of faith based on doing as you see fit? Since the life of faith is related to our salvation, we must learn about it while reading the Bible. And the life of faith must be learned from Jesus. Also, the life of faith must be learned from the ancestors of faith who are written about in the Scriptures. Therefore, if you want to live a good life of faith, you must read the Bible. If you don't, you can become a false Christian. If you don't, it will be like the blind leading the blind. Today's text shows us the religious life of the early Jerusalem church members. Through these words, we will be able to learn how to live a life of faith. If my life of faith is different from the life of the believers of the early Jerusalem Church written about in the Bible, then we just need to learn from their life of faith as it is recorded in the Bible. If the appearance of our church is different from the early Jerusalem church written in the Scriptures, we can learn from the early Jerusalem church and imitate it.

  2.     

  The early Jerusalem church members knew why they existed, their purpose and mission. They completely went all-in on Jesus' Great Commission, "Go and make disciples." And the Book of Acts records the names of ‘those who evangelized’ and who obeyed Jesus’ commission like these: Peter, John, Stephen, Philip, Paul and Barnabas. Philip, whom we meet in today's text, is one of the seven men who helped the relief ministry in the early Jerusalem church. However, Philip did not stay only in that ministry. Among the early Jerusalem church members, he was the first to go down to Samaria and tell the gospel. He expanded the field of evangelism that had stayed in the center of Jerusalem to Samaria.

  Philip, the man of the Spirit, obeyed the very word that Jesus told his disciples before he ascended to heaven; “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1: 8). That obedience was not accomplished when the early Jerusalem church or the church members were at peace. Philip obeyed this commission given by Jesus when the church was being severely persecuted, when the church members were in great sorrow due to the martyrdom of their fellow disciple Stephen, when Saul was arresting and imprisoning the church members, when the church members were scattered by great persecution. The early Jerusalem church members, including Philip, did not stop preaching the gospel even during these difficult times. That is because the work of the Holy Spirit is to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth. Who can stop the work of the Holy Spirit? And, because that is the purpose of the church's existence on this earth. A church that does not evangelize is no longer the Lord's church. A disciple who does not evangelize is no longer a disciple of the Lord. We, too, must learn the faith to go out into the community and evangelize to people.

   

  Who will evangelize? The person who has Jesus in him evangelizes. Peter said to a man who had been lame from birth, “What I do have I give you,” and he gave Jesus to that crippled man (Acts 3:6). Those who believe that Jesus is Christ and the living God boldly evangelize. The person who lives with Jesus Christ as their Savior in him evangelizes. A person who is filled with thrill and joy in being saved evangelizes. Those who really have Christ in them (Persons who are saved) cannot endure without preaching about Jesus who saved them. When the officials of the people threatened Peter and John 'not to speak or teach at all to people in the name of Jesus' (Acts 4:18), they replied, “We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). This means 'Because Jesus forgave a sinner like me and gave eternal life, I have no choice but to tell people about Jesus who gave me this grace'!! Therefore, a person who evangelizes is a real disciple of Jesus. The church that evangelizes is the authentic Lord's church.

   

  Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to the people. This is the mission and responsibility of the disciple of the Lord. This is the purpose of the existence of the Lord's Church. In this way, the early Jerusalem church members knew that the most precious thing that the disciples of the Lord could give to all people in the world was only Jesus Christ. In this way, when Philip “proclaimed the Messiah” to the people of Samaria, the people living in Samaria listened to Philip’s words, saw the signs he performed, and obeyed with one heart. There was great joy in that city because the unclean spirits that had possessed many people came out with a loud cry, and many paralytics and crippled people were healed.

   

  Who is Christ and how did these miracles happen when Philip preached? Because Jesus Christ is our Savior, the living God, and the Almighty God. Because the name of Jesus Christ is the name that gives us salvation, the name that gives us eternal life, the name that gives us forgiveness of sins, and the name that heals and renews us. Therefore, ‘evangelism’, which spreads ‘Christ’ to people, is such a precious thing. The name of Jesus Christ fills the people who hear the name, the family, and the city with the joy of God's salvation.

   

  While Philip was preaching 'Christ' to people in Samaria, an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road - the desert road - that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (Acts 8:26) Here, ‘Gaza’ was a city on the Mediterranean coast and was on the way to Egypt on the way to the wilderness. There was a road that passed through the city of Gaza that led to Egypt and Africa. At least from Samaria to Gaza, it was a wilderness road that was about 100 km (about 50 miles) away, and it was a dangerous road. Philip started out immediately. Philip was a man of the Spirit who obeyed Acts 1:8. He was one who obeyed Jesus' great commission (Matthew 28:19-20) and the great commandments (Matthew 22:37-39).

   

  Just as the angel of the Lord said, Philip ‘got up and went and saw’ there was a prepared man waiting for the evangelist. Even when we evangelize, God will lead us to the prepared people who are waiting for the evangelist. He was an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, the Queen of Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship God and was on his way home. At that time, the Holy Spirit said to Philip (v. 29), "Go to that chariot and stay near it."  Please note verse 29. When Philip evangelized, he was not alone. Who was by his side when he shared the gospel in the wilderness? Yes, the Holy Spirit worked with Philip. Likewise, when we evangelize, Jesus, who promised “surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age,” is with us and works through us.

   

  Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah 53. Isaiah 53 contains the prophecies of the coming Messiah. "Do you understand what you are reading" Philip asked. "How can I," he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” There are people around us like this who want to know Jesus, but there is no one to teach them or explain the gospel to them. There are people looking for someone to teach and explain the gospel to them. Evangelism is going and finding such people. Evangelism is going out and waiting for such people.

   

  The eunuch invited Philip to come up and sit with him. And Philip asked him what he was curious about. “Who is this ‘suffering servant’ referring to here, like a lamb being led to the slaughter?”  Philip said, “This servant who suffered was Jesus who came to the world for our salvation”, and he preached Jesus Christ to him. On that day, the eunuch received the Jesus whom Philip preached about as his savior.  He was baptized as the first step in beginning to live as a disciple of Jesus. And he went on his way rejoicing. In verse 39, it is written that 'the eunuch went on his way rejoicing'. In this way, those who are saved by Jesus are rejoicing and happy.

   

  Our God, with eyes like flames, still seeks out people to save and sends His disciples to that place, whether it is in the wilderness or in a valley. And God wants us to make them disciples of Jesus, baptize them, and teach them to obey all that the Lord has commanded. Because God wants everyone in the world to be saved.

   

  The next act of Philip is written in the Scriptures as follows,

  "Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea." (Verse 40) What does this mean? It means that the early Jerusalem believers continued to participate in the gospel by holding on to the Holy Spirit from the first day. They were led by the Holy Spirit to go into the world, making disciples, baptizing them, and teaching them to obey all that the Lord had commanded them to do. This is the appearance of the early Jerusalem church. This is the religious life of the disciples of the early Jerusalem church who confessed that the Lord is the Christ and the living God.

  3.     

  The early Jerusalem church members and Philip lived as disciples of the Lord like a “tree of life (= like a tree that bears the fruit of life).” They gained many people by obeying the commands and commandments of the Lord. Through the evangelism of one Holy Spirit-filled man - Philip, a man, a city, and even a nation turned to Jesus and was saved. The Lord's disciples and the Lord's church that gain so many people are called 'the Lord's disciples who are like the tree of life, the Lord's church which is like the tree of life.'

   

  "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise (Proverbs 11:30)."

   

  This passage means that saved people are like the tree of life which bears fruit, thus “gaining people.” This means that the Lord's church and disciples are like the tree of life and win many lives. Gaining people is the wisest thing to do. To that extent, believing in Jesus and participating in evangelism is living a life at a much higher level. Jesus is like the tree of life because He saved your lives, and He saved my life. Peter, Paul, the early Christians in Jerusalem, and Philip gained many people because they were “like the tree of life.” A tree that does not bear the fruit of life is a dead tree. From today to the end, I bless you to live as disciples of the Lord like the tree of life.  Amen.

   

  (Closing prayer) Dear God, please help our church, which just started its 6th year, to become a church filled with the Holy Spirit and like a tree of life. Help us to become disciples of Jesus, who are like the tree of life. So, help us save, build, and gain countless people in our local community. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen

   

   
  • 
  • 

생명나무와 같은 주님의 제자로 살기 (Living as a Disciple of the Lord like the Tree of Life)

설교날짜: 7/16/2023

설교자: 김덕신 목사

설교본문: 잠언 11:30, 사도행전 8:26-40

• 첫날부터 끝날까지 예수님의 목적이 이끄는 삶

  설교날짜: 7/09/2023

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 빌립보서 1:1-6

  Sunday Worship Service’ Sermon (7-09-2023)

   

  The Lord’s Purpose Driven Life from the First day until the Last day

  (Philippians 1:1-6)

  1.     

  The United States hockey team had no possibility of winning the 1980 Winter Olympic Games. However, the Soviet Union (now Russia) seemed invincible and unbeatable. Their team included elite professionals who had played together for years. The Americans, on the other hand, had teammates who had never played together. None of them were professionals; they had come from colleges and universities across America. The American victory over the Soviets in the medal round seemed improbable, if not impossible. By the way, an unexpected turning point that completely changed this American team came in a practice led by Coach Herb Brooks. The coach was demanding, perhaps driven to a fault. Brooks was not happy with the play of the team, so he had the players skating sprints to the point of exhaustion. Some of the assistant coaches were worried that the players would either pass out or quit. They urged Brooks to stop. Brooks pressed forward. During the practices, Brooks would ask a player who he played for. The player would respond proudly with the name of his college. Brooks was asking this question during a practice when the players were at the point of total exhaustion when one of the hockey players, recalling Brooks’ persistent question, looked up from his prostrate position after his last sprint. Gasping for breath, he declared, “I play for the United States of America.” A word of finding this true purpose was a decisive turning point that completely changed the constitution of the United States of America team. They got it. They did not play for the disparate colleges from which they came. They played for the United States of America. And the team responded. They, who found a clear purpose and mission for who they are playing for, beat the mighty Soviets in the first game of the medal round, and they would ultimately beat Finland for the gold medal. Some say the victory over the Soviet Union was the greatest Olympic victory ever for the Americans. Others said “it was the greatest moment in American sports history,” “a miracle on the ice.”

  The American hockey players got it. They not only knew the game they were playing; they knew for whom they were playing: “I play for the United States of America.” They clearly understood their purpose. They clearly understood how to carry out their purpose.

  2.     

  That is certainly not the case with those churches that were dying. Members of those dead churches had absolutely no purpose, vision and passion in their language or attitude. The following are some of the saddest interviews of members of the deceased church after the church closed. “We were going through the motions.” “Everything we did seemed to be like we were in a rut or bad routine.” “We became more attached to our ways of doing church than we did asking the Lord what He wanted us to do.” “We had no idea what we were really supposed to be doing.” “We stopped asking what we should be doing for fear that it would require too much effort or change.”

  The church was not really a church. It had no purpose. None of the members talked about fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). None of the members spoke about carrying out the Great Commandment in the church (Matthew 22:34-40). None ever came close to speaking with a burning passion about making a difference in the community. The churches were purposeless. They were engaged in an activity called, “This is the way we’ve always done it.” None of the members asked what they should be doing. Everyone was always busier with their own work.

   

  Today's text is a letter sent by Paul to the members of the Philippian church he planted. When you read the letter he sent to the Philippian church members, his great love for the church members is overflowing. There was one main reason why Paul had such an unfading love for them.

   

  (Let’s look at Philippians 1:3-6) “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

   

  Did you get that? Did you read clearly why he was so thankful, why he had so much joy? The last portion of the sentence answers this question: “…because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.”

   

  The church knew the church’s purpose. The members at Philippi knew what they were supposed to do. They lived according to this belief and this confession of faith “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). They lived according to the Great Commission of Jesus who said, ‘go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you’ (Matthew 28:19-20) and they lived according to Christ’s promise that 'you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth’(Acts 1:8). They clearly knew the reason and purpose of giving their attention to prayer and evangelism. The purpose of their existence was to go, serve them, and evangelize to the people in the community. Paul took great joy in the way that the Philippians were well aware of their purpose and mission and faithfully participated in it from the first day until now. Don't miss Verse 5: 'from the first day until now.’ The Philippian church members, from the day the Philippian church was born to the day Paul wrote this letter to them, were well aware of what they, who were saved, had to do. So, they lived according to this faith and confession of faith, ‘You are the Christ and the living God.’ And all the church members participated in preaching the gospel with one heart. In this way, believing in Jesus as my Savior and participating in the work of preaching the gospel from the first day of salvation is the standard of faith. When Paul planted the Philippian church, he taught the church members to ‘preach the gospel from the first day’ to those who believed in Jesus as the Savior and were saved. Paul himself was like that, too. As we know, Paul, who destroyed the church and persecuted believers in Jesus until he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, lived a life of participating in the gospel from the first day he accepted Jesus as his Savior until he finished his work on earth and stood before the Lord of glory. Like Paul, the Philippian Christians who came to believe in Jesus through Paul, from the first day they received Jesus as their Savior to the day Paul wrote this letter, lived with the faith to participate in the gospel. This is the essence of faith. Are there any among us who believe in Jesus as our Savior from the first day of salvation until now and are involved in sharing the gospel?

   

  But the dying churches, at some point in their history, forgot their purpose. Attitudes shifted from gospel-centered and other-centered to self-centered. An outward focus became an inward obsession.  As the church lost the church’s purpose, the church slowly but surely began to die. We must remember this fact: 'A church without the purpose of spreading the gospel is no longer a church of Jesus at all, also no longer a disciple of Jesus.' The Laodicea church was that kind of church. They had lost the purpose and mission of the church. Their passion for purpose and the mission of their existence had become lukewarm. They did not even remember their purpose and mission given by Jesus at all. That's why Jesus said, “I am about to spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:16). The meaning of Jesus' words is that a church that has lost its purpose and mission for spreading the gospel is no longer the Lord's church.

   

  Why is the church that has lost its purpose and mission to spread the gospel no longer the Lord's church? Why? It is because they do not live as they confess and believe that 'You are the Christ and the living God'. It is because the disciples of Jesus live as fishers of men. Because the Church of the Lord and the disciples of the Lord exist for this purpose. Therefore, the greatest crisis in the life of faith is to live with a faith that neglects evangelism. The greatest crisis of the church community established by the Lord is to neglect prayer and evangelism. However, the Philippian church, which was built by believing in and confessing Jesus as their Savior and living God, lived according to that belief and confession. They lived a life full of thrill and joy of salvation. Unlike before, they only lived a holy life by imitating Jesus who saved them. And they participated in evangelism from the first day according to the Great Commission and the Great Commandment given by Jesus. They began to live for Jesus, whom they believed in as their Savior and as their God. The meeting of people who live like this is the true church that Jesus built.

  3.     

  “You are the Christ, the living God” (Matthew 16:16) - this faith and confession of faith is a confession with this meaning: 'I live for the noble Christ who saved me. I live for the kingdom of God and the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ who saved me.’ If that's what it means, how can we reveal the glory of Christ through our lives? It is to strive for prayer and evangelism in order to obey the command of Jesus who wants all souls in this region (There are 864,683 people in Montgomery County, including Asians, who represent 8.6% of that number) to be saved.

   

  Paul confessed this in Philippians 1:20, “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.” So, Paul lived a life of participating in the gospel throughout his life from the first day he met Jesus to the time he finished his toils on earth and stood before the Lord of glory.

   

  I pray that our church, like the Philippian church, will stand strong as a church that participates in the gospel from the first day until the day the Lord returns. Also, I pray that all believers will live a life of faith in our church earnestly praying to live as believers who participate in the gospel from the first day, they received Jesus as their Savior to the day they stand before the Lord.

   

  Lastly, I made 6 declarations of faith with the earnest hope that Christ United Methodist Church, which is starting its 6th year today, will walk steadfastly before the Lord our God. Please read this with me. (1) We will live according to this faith and this confession of faith: ‘You are the Christ, the living God.’ (2) From the first day when the United Methodist Church of Christ was established until the day the Lord returns, we will live a ‘The Lord's purpose driven life.’ In other words, we will obey the great commission of Jesus, ‘go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.’ And we will obey the Great Commandment of Jesus, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' (3) We will read the Bible every day in order to know Jesus better and live by imitating Jesus and live according to the words Jesus taught us. (4) We will strive for prayer and evangelism to make local residents disciples of Jesus. (5) We will pray once a day saying, "Lord, enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness, stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus." (6) We will obey all these things with joy, relying on Jesus who is with us until the end of the world. All of this is for the glory of God. Amen.

   

  (Closing prayer) Dear God, help the members of Christ United Methodist Church to participate in the gospel with joy from the first day they received Jesus as their Savior until the end. May the United Methodist Church of Christ be a church that participates in the gospel from the first day it was established on this earth until the day the Lord returns. Lord, like the early Jerusalem and Philippian Christians, help us to live 'The Lord's purpose driven life' from the first day to the end. May the members of Christ United Methodist Church obey the Great Commission to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen!!

   

   
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  • 

• 첫날부터 끝날까지 예수님의 목적이 이끄는 삶

  설교날짜: 7/09/2023

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 빌립보서 1:1-6

  Sunday Worship Service’ Sermon (7-09-2023)

   

  The Lord’s Purpose Driven Life from the First day until the Last day

  (Philippians 1:1-6)

  1.     

  The United States hockey team had no possibility of winning the 1980 Winter Olympic Games. However, the Soviet Union (now Russia) seemed invincible and unbeatable. Their team included elite professionals who had played together for years. The Americans, on the other hand, had teammates who had never played together. None of them were professionals; they had come from colleges and universities across America. The American victory over the Soviets in the medal round seemed improbable, if not impossible. By the way, an unexpected turning point that completely changed this American team came in a practice led by Coach Herb Brooks. The coach was demanding, perhaps driven to a fault. Brooks was not happy with the play of the team, so he had the players skating sprints to the point of exhaustion. Some of the assistant coaches were worried that the players would either pass out or quit. They urged Brooks to stop. Brooks pressed forward. During the practices, Brooks would ask a player who he played for. The player would respond proudly with the name of his college. Brooks was asking this question during a practice when the players were at the point of total exhaustion when one of the hockey players, recalling Brooks’ persistent question, looked up from his prostrate position after his last sprint. Gasping for breath, he declared, “I play for the United States of America.” A word of finding this true purpose was a decisive turning point that completely changed the constitution of the United States of America team. They got it. They did not play for the disparate colleges from which they came. They played for the United States of America. And the team responded. They, who found a clear purpose and mission for who they are playing for, beat the mighty Soviets in the first game of the medal round, and they would ultimately beat Finland for the gold medal. Some say the victory over the Soviet Union was the greatest Olympic victory ever for the Americans. Others said “it was the greatest moment in American sports history,” “a miracle on the ice.”

  The American hockey players got it. They not only knew the game they were playing; they knew for whom they were playing: “I play for the United States of America.” They clearly understood their purpose. They clearly understood how to carry out their purpose.

  2.     

  That is certainly not the case with those churches that were dying. Members of those dead churches had absolutely no purpose, vision and passion in their language or attitude. The following are some of the saddest interviews of members of the deceased church after the church closed. “We were going through the motions.” “Everything we did seemed to be like we were in a rut or bad routine.” “We became more attached to our ways of doing church than we did asking the Lord what He wanted us to do.” “We had no idea what we were really supposed to be doing.” “We stopped asking what we should be doing for fear that it would require too much effort or change.”

  The church was not really a church. It had no purpose. None of the members talked about fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). None of the members spoke about carrying out the Great Commandment in the church (Matthew 22:34-40). None ever came close to speaking with a burning passion about making a difference in the community. The churches were purposeless. They were engaged in an activity called, “This is the way we’ve always done it.” None of the members asked what they should be doing. Everyone was always busier with their own work.

   

  Today's text is a letter sent by Paul to the members of the Philippian church he planted. When you read the letter he sent to the Philippian church members, his great love for the church members is overflowing. There was one main reason why Paul had such an unfading love for them.

   

  (Let’s look at Philippians 1:3-6) “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

   

  Did you get that? Did you read clearly why he was so thankful, why he had so much joy? The last portion of the sentence answers this question: “…because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.”

   

  The church knew the church’s purpose. The members at Philippi knew what they were supposed to do. They lived according to this belief and this confession of faith “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). They lived according to the Great Commission of Jesus who said, ‘go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you’ (Matthew 28:19-20) and they lived according to Christ’s promise that 'you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth’(Acts 1:8). They clearly knew the reason and purpose of giving their attention to prayer and evangelism. The purpose of their existence was to go, serve them, and evangelize to the people in the community. Paul took great joy in the way that the Philippians were well aware of their purpose and mission and faithfully participated in it from the first day until now. Don't miss Verse 5: 'from the first day until now.’ The Philippian church members, from the day the Philippian church was born to the day Paul wrote this letter to them, were well aware of what they, who were saved, had to do. So, they lived according to this faith and confession of faith, ‘You are the Christ and the living God.’ And all the church members participated in preaching the gospel with one heart. In this way, believing in Jesus as my Savior and participating in the work of preaching the gospel from the first day of salvation is the standard of faith. When Paul planted the Philippian church, he taught the church members to ‘preach the gospel from the first day’ to those who believed in Jesus as the Savior and were saved. Paul himself was like that, too. As we know, Paul, who destroyed the church and persecuted believers in Jesus until he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, lived a life of participating in the gospel from the first day he accepted Jesus as his Savior until he finished his work on earth and stood before the Lord of glory. Like Paul, the Philippian Christians who came to believe in Jesus through Paul, from the first day they received Jesus as their Savior to the day Paul wrote this letter, lived with the faith to participate in the gospel. This is the essence of faith. Are there any among us who believe in Jesus as our Savior from the first day of salvation until now and are involved in sharing the gospel?

   

  But the dying churches, at some point in their history, forgot their purpose. Attitudes shifted from gospel-centered and other-centered to self-centered. An outward focus became an inward obsession.  As the church lost the church’s purpose, the church slowly but surely began to die. We must remember this fact: 'A church without the purpose of spreading the gospel is no longer a church of Jesus at all, also no longer a disciple of Jesus.' The Laodicea church was that kind of church. They had lost the purpose and mission of the church. Their passion for purpose and the mission of their existence had become lukewarm. They did not even remember their purpose and mission given by Jesus at all. That's why Jesus said, “I am about to spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:16). The meaning of Jesus' words is that a church that has lost its purpose and mission for spreading the gospel is no longer the Lord's church.

   

  Why is the church that has lost its purpose and mission to spread the gospel no longer the Lord's church? Why? It is because they do not live as they confess and believe that 'You are the Christ and the living God'. It is because the disciples of Jesus live as fishers of men. Because the Church of the Lord and the disciples of the Lord exist for this purpose. Therefore, the greatest crisis in the life of faith is to live with a faith that neglects evangelism. The greatest crisis of the church community established by the Lord is to neglect prayer and evangelism. However, the Philippian church, which was built by believing in and confessing Jesus as their Savior and living God, lived according to that belief and confession. They lived a life full of thrill and joy of salvation. Unlike before, they only lived a holy life by imitating Jesus who saved them. And they participated in evangelism from the first day according to the Great Commission and the Great Commandment given by Jesus. They began to live for Jesus, whom they believed in as their Savior and as their God. The meeting of people who live like this is the true church that Jesus built.

  3.     

  “You are the Christ, the living God” (Matthew 16:16) - this faith and confession of faith is a confession with this meaning: 'I live for the noble Christ who saved me. I live for the kingdom of God and the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ who saved me.’ If that's what it means, how can we reveal the glory of Christ through our lives? It is to strive for prayer and evangelism in order to obey the command of Jesus who wants all souls in this region (There are 864,683 people in Montgomery County, including Asians, who represent 8.6% of that number) to be saved.

   

  Paul confessed this in Philippians 1:20, “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.” So, Paul lived a life of participating in the gospel throughout his life from the first day he met Jesus to the time he finished his toils on earth and stood before the Lord of glory.

   

  I pray that our church, like the Philippian church, will stand strong as a church that participates in the gospel from the first day until the day the Lord returns. Also, I pray that all believers will live a life of faith in our church earnestly praying to live as believers who participate in the gospel from the first day, they received Jesus as their Savior to the day they stand before the Lord.

   

  Lastly, I made 6 declarations of faith with the earnest hope that Christ United Methodist Church, which is starting its 6th year today, will walk steadfastly before the Lord our God. Please read this with me. (1) We will live according to this faith and this confession of faith: ‘You are the Christ, the living God.’ (2) From the first day when the United Methodist Church of Christ was established until the day the Lord returns, we will live a ‘The Lord's purpose driven life.’ In other words, we will obey the great commission of Jesus, ‘go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.’ And we will obey the Great Commandment of Jesus, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' (3) We will read the Bible every day in order to know Jesus better and live by imitating Jesus and live according to the words Jesus taught us. (4) We will strive for prayer and evangelism to make local residents disciples of Jesus. (5) We will pray once a day saying, "Lord, enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness, stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus." (6) We will obey all these things with joy, relying on Jesus who is with us until the end of the world. All of this is for the glory of God. Amen.

   

  (Closing prayer) Dear God, help the members of Christ United Methodist Church to participate in the gospel with joy from the first day they received Jesus as their Savior until the end. May the United Methodist Church of Christ be a church that participates in the gospel from the first day it was established on this earth until the day the Lord returns. Lord, like the early Jerusalem and Philippian Christians, help us to live 'The Lord's purpose driven life' from the first day to the end. May the members of Christ United Methodist Church obey the Great Commission to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen!!

   

   
  • 
  • 

첫날부터 끝날까지 예수님의 목적이 이끄는 삶 (The Lord's Purpose Driven Life)

설교날짜: 7/09/2023

설교자: 김덕신 목사

설교본문: 빌립보서 1:1-6

• 왜 그리스도연합감리교회인가? (Why Chr

  설교날짜: 7/02/2023

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 마태복음 28:16-20

   Sunday Worship Service’s Sermon (7-02-2023)

  
  

  Why “Christ United Methodist Church”?

  (Matthew 16:13-20)

  1.     

  Do you know the name of our church? Yes, as you know, the name of our church is ‘Christ United Methodist Church’. Do you also know why our church is called Christ United Methodist Church? Today I would like to begin my sermon by sharing an anecdote about the name of our church.

  2.     

  In early June 2018, we heard from the Bishop of the Eastern Pennsylvania Annual Conference about plans to plant a new church in our area. She also asked me to think about what to name the new church. From that day on, I prayed to God in my spare time about what to name our church. One day while reading Ephesians, I felt the words of Ephesians 4:15 come into my heart: “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” For a moment I thought, ‘Oh, Christ…!  That the church that grows up into Christ'. This convinced me of the name of the church that God has given us. I was jumping for joy. I wanted God to confirm that this name was given by God to our new church. So, I said this to a few church members who were praying and fasting together: “When I read Ephesians, there is a name of our church that God has revealed to me. If the very name that was revealed to me is the name of the new church God has given us, God will let you know and see it as well. Starting today, please prayerfully read Ephesians and search for the church name that God gives us. God will let us all find it and let us know it. While you read and reread Ephesians again, ask God 'What kind of church do You want us to be?’ and seeking ‘What kind of church do you want our church to be?' The church members immediately began to read Ephesians prayerfully. And, four days later, a church member gave the same answer that I had received. “Pastor, it seems to be 'Christ'. Is it right?” That church member also found the name of our church in the very same word that God showed me in Ephesians 4:15. After that, some other church members who were also reading Ephesians, found the same name of the church that God gave me. That is why the name of our church came to be called ‘Christ United Methodist Church.’

  
  

  Then, why Christ United Methodist Church?

  One day, when Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do you say I am?" Then Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” ‘Jesus is our Savior and God who came to the world to save us’ (Matthew 16:16). After hearing Peter's confession of faith, Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah." And he told him, “You are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church." What we should pay attention to here is that Jesus did not say, “I will build Peter’s church.” Jesus said he will build “my church, Jesus’ church, Christ’s church.”

   

  So, what kind of church is 'my church' that Jesus said 'will be built'?

  It is not a church where men pretend to be masters. Also, 'my church' that Jesus said he would build does not mean a building. Here, 'My Church', which Jesus said he will build, is like Peter, 'a meeting of saved people who believed in and confessed Jesus as their Christ and God'. And it refers to those who have gathered to live only by imitating Christ unlike the people of the world, obeying the Great Commission and the Great Commandment given by Christ to those who are saved, until the end of the world. So, our church was named 'Christ United Methodist Church' with the hope that all the members who will belong to our church from 'the first day we started the church until the day the Lord returns' will live as 'my church - church of Christ' as Jesus said. Therefore, our church considered it important to read the Bible and live by imitating Jesus from the first day. And our church sent its first Sunday offering to Haiti Mission Offering. Also, half of the Thanksgiving offering that year was used as a relief offering for neighbors in need in our area. Not only that, but we went to the people in our community to share the gospel and share their needs.

   

  Then, what are the ‘great commission and the great commandment’ that Jesus established his church upon and gave to those who were saved?

  There are a number of New Testament passages where Jesus sends out His followers. The text that is used most often to refer to the Great Commission is Matthew 28:19-20: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything the Lord has commanded us.” and the Great Commandment of Jesus is found in Matthew 22:37-39: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”, and “Love your neighbors as yourself.” This is God's priority, and it is a priority for the churches He has established to carry out. This is also a priority for the church members to obey. The church established by Jesus and the saved church members who believe in and confess Jesus as the Christ exist on this earth for this mission. The imperative in those verses is “go to the world.” And the Great Commission requires at least two points of obedience from church members. They are to go, and they are to depend totally upon the power of Christ. That’s why Jesus reminded them: “I am with you always.” Christ was ready and willing to work through them. Indeed, Jesus commanded it.

   

  In the book of Acts, there are many stories of growing churches, happy churches, and happy church members. Every time I read the book of Acts, I am envious that the work of the living God like this appears in the Lord's church, and I always pray that our church will be built like that. However, in the past five years, our church has not been able to see a church like the early church in Jerusalem shown in the book of Acts. So, I was very confused. 'Why don't these kinds of result appear in our church?'  Is this story which was written in the Scriptures all lies?’ There were times when I was caught up in the wrong idea. However, I discovered that there was a reason why the work of the early Jerusalem church resulted in this revival. What could be the reason? It is that the work of the church revival shown in the Acts originated from obeying the great commission given by Jesus. The early Jerusalem church obeyed the Great Commission and the Great Commandment of Jesus and ‘went to the world’. They made disciples of Jesus. They baptized people. They taught the people. They loved their neighbors as themselves. The result is the church revival described in Acts.

   

  However, Pastor Thom Rader analyzed this dying church in a book titled ‘Autopsy of a Deceased Church’ like this: 'One common pattern found in dying churches is that the church has failed in their efforts to obey Jesus' Great Commission and the Great Commandment. Why? It is because the efforts to obey it are inconvenient. These dying churches chose their comfort rather than reaching out to others with the gospel. They wanted to get the same result as the Bible, but they didn't want to work for it. Members of the dying church did not want to go into the community to serve people and spread the gospel. No effort was made to invite unbelieving friends and relatives to church. They wanted to get it without any sacrifice, without hard work. However, growing churches, then and now, have the fruits of obedience of pastors and believers who endure discomfort, rely on Jesus, go to the community and preach the gospel boldly.

  3.     

  Dear Sisters and Brothers,

  Our church was named 'Christ United Methodist Church' with the hope that all the members who will belong to our church from 'the first day we started the church until the day the Lord returns' will live as 'the Lord's church - the church of Christ.'  If so, what do we do next?

   

  If we have a good name, the next thing we have to do is to make the name of the church our church's goal, direction, mission, identity, and values. The name of this church should become the image of all the members who belong to our church, and we must strive to become the true image of our church. If the name of our church is ‘Christ United Methodist Church,’ we must strive to live a worthy life as the church of Christ and disciples of Christ. Even if we have a good name, if we do not live up to it, a good name is of no use to us. Just because we have a good name doesn't automatically mean that the church will live up to that name. All the church members must try to live up to that name. We should each try to live up to its name. We all must try to live a life worthy of that name.

   

  There was one thing Alexander the Great hated the most. It is said that he hated the cowardly act of running away from the battlefield because of fear. So, Alexander caught any fleeing soldiers and publicly executed them. One day, during the war, a soldier escaped and was caught and brought before Alexander. He was a very young boy with blue eyes. The moment Alexander saw him, the desire to kill him disappeared. Alexander asked him, “What is your name?” “I am Alexander,” the soldier replied in a terrified voice. Alexander, startled, asked again. “What is your name?” "Yes, I am Alexander." The young soldier's name was the same as that of Alexander the Great. Then Alexander angrily asked him once more, "What is your name?" He replied with a loud voice, “I'm Alexander!” Then Alexander ran to the soldier, grabbed him by the collar, and shouted, “Are you Alexander? Either change your name or change your attitude in life!”

   

  The members and leaders of the revived church stopped making excuses for not obeying the Great Commission and the Great Commandment and got down to the nitty-gritty work of revitalization. They did not delegate obedience. Because they knew very well that the Church of Jesus “enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened and the number of people saved increases day by day” only when they obey the Great Commission and the Great commandment.

   

  Our church is now beginning its 6th anniversary on July 1st.

  I hope that all of us will always remember the meaning contained in the name of our church and stand firm as the Lord's church and disciples who spread the name of Christ who saved us to the world by faithfully obeying Christ's Great Commission and Great Commandment.

   

  (Closing Prayer) Dear God, help us to become disciples of Christ who faithfully obey the Great Commission and the Great Commandment of the Lord. Help our church grow into a church that can change our local community with the power of the Holy Spirit and the gospel. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen!

   

   
  

  • 
  • 

• 왜 그리스도연합감리교회인가? (Why Chr

  설교날짜: 7/02/2023

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 마태복음 28:16-20

   Sunday Worship Service’s Sermon (7-02-2023)

  
  

  Why “Christ United Methodist Church”?

  (Matthew 16:13-20)

  1.     

  Do you know the name of our church? Yes, as you know, the name of our church is ‘Christ United Methodist Church’. Do you also know why our church is called Christ United Methodist Church? Today I would like to begin my sermon by sharing an anecdote about the name of our church.

  2.     

  In early June 2018, we heard from the Bishop of the Eastern Pennsylvania Annual Conference about plans to plant a new church in our area. She also asked me to think about what to name the new church. From that day on, I prayed to God in my spare time about what to name our church. One day while reading Ephesians, I felt the words of Ephesians 4:15 come into my heart: “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” For a moment I thought, ‘Oh, Christ…!  That the church that grows up into Christ'. This convinced me of the name of the church that God has given us. I was jumping for joy. I wanted God to confirm that this name was given by God to our new church. So, I said this to a few church members who were praying and fasting together: “When I read Ephesians, there is a name of our church that God has revealed to me. If the very name that was revealed to me is the name of the new church God has given us, God will let you know and see it as well. Starting today, please prayerfully read Ephesians and search for the church name that God gives us. God will let us all find it and let us know it. While you read and reread Ephesians again, ask God 'What kind of church do You want us to be?’ and seeking ‘What kind of church do you want our church to be?' The church members immediately began to read Ephesians prayerfully. And, four days later, a church member gave the same answer that I had received. “Pastor, it seems to be 'Christ'. Is it right?” That church member also found the name of our church in the very same word that God showed me in Ephesians 4:15. After that, some other church members who were also reading Ephesians, found the same name of the church that God gave me. That is why the name of our church came to be called ‘Christ United Methodist Church.’

  
  

  Then, why Christ United Methodist Church?

  One day, when Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do you say I am?" Then Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” ‘Jesus is our Savior and God who came to the world to save us’ (Matthew 16:16). After hearing Peter's confession of faith, Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah." And he told him, “You are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church." What we should pay attention to here is that Jesus did not say, “I will build Peter’s church.” Jesus said he will build “my church, Jesus’ church, Christ’s church.”

   

  So, what kind of church is 'my church' that Jesus said 'will be built'?

  It is not a church where men pretend to be masters. Also, 'my church' that Jesus said he would build does not mean a building. Here, 'My Church', which Jesus said he will build, is like Peter, 'a meeting of saved people who believed in and confessed Jesus as their Christ and God'. And it refers to those who have gathered to live only by imitating Christ unlike the people of the world, obeying the Great Commission and the Great Commandment given by Christ to those who are saved, until the end of the world. So, our church was named 'Christ United Methodist Church' with the hope that all the members who will belong to our church from 'the first day we started the church until the day the Lord returns' will live as 'my church - church of Christ' as Jesus said. Therefore, our church considered it important to read the Bible and live by imitating Jesus from the first day. And our church sent its first Sunday offering to Haiti Mission Offering. Also, half of the Thanksgiving offering that year was used as a relief offering for neighbors in need in our area. Not only that, but we went to the people in our community to share the gospel and share their needs.

   

  Then, what are the ‘great commission and the great commandment’ that Jesus established his church upon and gave to those who were saved?

  There are a number of New Testament passages where Jesus sends out His followers. The text that is used most often to refer to the Great Commission is Matthew 28:19-20: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything the Lord has commanded us.” and the Great Commandment of Jesus is found in Matthew 22:37-39: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”, and “Love your neighbors as yourself.” This is God's priority, and it is a priority for the churches He has established to carry out. This is also a priority for the church members to obey. The church established by Jesus and the saved church members who believe in and confess Jesus as the Christ exist on this earth for this mission. The imperative in those verses is “go to the world.” And the Great Commission requires at least two points of obedience from church members. They are to go, and they are to depend totally upon the power of Christ. That’s why Jesus reminded them: “I am with you always.” Christ was ready and willing to work through them. Indeed, Jesus commanded it.

   

  In the book of Acts, there are many stories of growing churches, happy churches, and happy church members. Every time I read the book of Acts, I am envious that the work of the living God like this appears in the Lord's church, and I always pray that our church will be built like that. However, in the past five years, our church has not been able to see a church like the early church in Jerusalem shown in the book of Acts. So, I was very confused. 'Why don't these kinds of result appear in our church?'  Is this story which was written in the Scriptures all lies?’ There were times when I was caught up in the wrong idea. However, I discovered that there was a reason why the work of the early Jerusalem church resulted in this revival. What could be the reason? It is that the work of the church revival shown in the Acts originated from obeying the great commission given by Jesus. The early Jerusalem church obeyed the Great Commission and the Great Commandment of Jesus and ‘went to the world’. They made disciples of Jesus. They baptized people. They taught the people. They loved their neighbors as themselves. The result is the church revival described in Acts.

   

  However, Pastor Thom Rader analyzed this dying church in a book titled ‘Autopsy of a Deceased Church’ like this: 'One common pattern found in dying churches is that the church has failed in their efforts to obey Jesus' Great Commission and the Great Commandment. Why? It is because the efforts to obey it are inconvenient. These dying churches chose their comfort rather than reaching out to others with the gospel. They wanted to get the same result as the Bible, but they didn't want to work for it. Members of the dying church did not want to go into the community to serve people and spread the gospel. No effort was made to invite unbelieving friends and relatives to church. They wanted to get it without any sacrifice, without hard work. However, growing churches, then and now, have the fruits of obedience of pastors and believers who endure discomfort, rely on Jesus, go to the community and preach the gospel boldly.

  3.     

  Dear Sisters and Brothers,

  Our church was named 'Christ United Methodist Church' with the hope that all the members who will belong to our church from 'the first day we started the church until the day the Lord returns' will live as 'the Lord's church - the church of Christ.'  If so, what do we do next?

   

  If we have a good name, the next thing we have to do is to make the name of the church our church's goal, direction, mission, identity, and values. The name of this church should become the image of all the members who belong to our church, and we must strive to become the true image of our church. If the name of our church is ‘Christ United Methodist Church,’ we must strive to live a worthy life as the church of Christ and disciples of Christ. Even if we have a good name, if we do not live up to it, a good name is of no use to us. Just because we have a good name doesn't automatically mean that the church will live up to that name. All the church members must try to live up to that name. We should each try to live up to its name. We all must try to live a life worthy of that name.

   

  There was one thing Alexander the Great hated the most. It is said that he hated the cowardly act of running away from the battlefield because of fear. So, Alexander caught any fleeing soldiers and publicly executed them. One day, during the war, a soldier escaped and was caught and brought before Alexander. He was a very young boy with blue eyes. The moment Alexander saw him, the desire to kill him disappeared. Alexander asked him, “What is your name?” “I am Alexander,” the soldier replied in a terrified voice. Alexander, startled, asked again. “What is your name?” "Yes, I am Alexander." The young soldier's name was the same as that of Alexander the Great. Then Alexander angrily asked him once more, "What is your name?" He replied with a loud voice, “I'm Alexander!” Then Alexander ran to the soldier, grabbed him by the collar, and shouted, “Are you Alexander? Either change your name or change your attitude in life!”

   

  The members and leaders of the revived church stopped making excuses for not obeying the Great Commission and the Great Commandment and got down to the nitty-gritty work of revitalization. They did not delegate obedience. Because they knew very well that the Church of Jesus “enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened and the number of people saved increases day by day” only when they obey the Great Commission and the Great commandment.

   

  Our church is now beginning its 6th anniversary on July 1st.

  I hope that all of us will always remember the meaning contained in the name of our church and stand firm as the Lord's church and disciples who spread the name of Christ who saved us to the world by faithfully obeying Christ's Great Commission and Great Commandment.

   

  (Closing Prayer) Dear God, help us to become disciples of Christ who faithfully obey the Great Commission and the Great Commandment of the Lord. Help our church grow into a church that can change our local community with the power of the Holy Spirit and the gospel. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen!

   

   
  

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  • 

왜 그리스도연합감리교회인가? (Why Christ United Methodist Church?)

설교날짜: 7/02/2023

설교자: 김덕신 목사

설교본문: 마태복음 28:16-20

• 하나님의 우선순위를 위해 기도하라 (Pray

  설교날짜: 6/25/2023

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 사도행전 4:29-31

  Sunday Worship Service’s Sermon (6-25-2023)

  Pray for God's Priority

  (Acts 4:29-31)

  1.     

  Analyzing the churches that once declined and then began to grow, it was discovered that prayers were being lifted up even before the revival was visible.  In other words, when analyzing the reviving churches, it was found that 'powerful prayer' supported the whole process of refreshment from beginning to end. But this does not mean that these people were just praying for their own wishes and desires. This means that these were people who prayed for God's priorities. What is God's priority? It is to carry out the great commission of Jesus, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything the Lord has commanded us (Matthew 28:19-20)” and it is to carry out the great commandment of Jesus, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind, and Love your neighbors as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39).” This is God's priority, and it is a priority for the churches He has established to carry out. This is also a priority for the church members to obey.

   

  But most of the time, “God’s priorities” are pushed aside by the things that we consider to be urgent in our own eyes. Jesus rebuked the disciples (those who chose to sleep) who did not pray at the moment of great crisis (Matthew 26:40-41). Like the disciples of Jesus who chose to sleep rather than pray, there are still many disciples who choose to sleep even in the midst of a crisis. There are more people who are completely involved in their own busy lives rather than in carrying out the commands given by the Lord. There are more people who are busy with their own work (Haggai 1:9). For some church members, prayer and evangelism do not seem urgent. There are more church members who see their own work as more urgent. There are more church members who put prayer and evangelism to the back of their priorities in their lives.  There may also be people who have prayed hard for other things for themselves, but have not prayed for God's priorities.

  2.     

  In the book of Acts, it is recorded that the number of disciples was increasing daily in the early Jerusalem church. However, the revival of the early Jerusalem church (which we envy) and its growth were not obtained for nothing. Acts 2 proves it. They devoted themselves to praying every day (Acts 2:42). And Acts 4:29-31 in today's text also proves this. Even in normal times, they had 'powerful prayers' for God's priorities. And as we see in today's text, in times of crisis when those in authority strongly warned and threatened the church members not to evangelize any more (Acts 4:17-21), there were strong prayers to carry out God's priority. “Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness (v29).” Did they pray like this just once or twice? No, they prayed like this every day. “Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness (v29).”

   

  The early Jerusalem church members and the Twelve Disciples regarded God's priority, — namely, this great commission given by Jesus to the church and the saved church members — as life. They regarded this as their highest mission. They regarded ‘evangelism' as a great mission that could never be taken away, should never be taken away, should never be forgotten, and should never be neglected, regardless of any interference, warnings, or threats from those who had great political, social, and religious power at the time. All of them were prayer warriors who never backed down from any spiritual obstacles or spiritual warfare, never flinched, and knew how to win. In Acts 6, the early Jerusalem church members sincerely repented of neglecting prayer and evangelism for a while because they were busy with the daily distribution of food. And they promised before God that they would devote themselves to prayer and evangelism again. In this way, if they found that they had neglected prayer and evangelism, they repented and decided to 'do their best in prayer and evangelism again' and went out to evangelize together, encouraging each other. From time to time, they checked to see how focused they were on this mission, and how obedient they were to it. Why did they do this? It's because they put so much importance on obeying Jesus and this command Jesus gave. In this way, the early Christians in Jerusalem knew that the Church of God could not continue enjoying a time of peace, could not be strengthened and could not increase in numbers daily if it was not supported by a 'powerful prayer movement (Acts 9:31).' Even when the chief priests and the people's officials warned and threatened, "Don't preach the name of Jesus Christ to people anymore," we see that they did not give in and they prayed even more powerfully, and we see in Acts 6 that they again made up their minds to 'do their best in prayer and evangelism'.  They knew that evangelism and prayer were absolutely necessary for the Church of God to live in peace and for the number of people to increase day by day.

  Prayer is an absolute requirement for the church to be the authentic church. Prayer is essential for a vibrant church. Prayer is a top priority in church revival. We must not forget what Jesus said, 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations (Mark 11:17).' Therefore, the great blessing of the Church of God is that there are warriors (heroes) of prayer and people who carry out powerful evangelism movements in that church. There are always invisible heroes of prayer in revived churches. Behind every revival story, there are always warriors of prayer. Here, the warrior (hero) of prayer does not just mean a person who prays. They are not just people who believe in the power of prayer. A warrior of prayer is a person who gathers people to pray with him for spiritual warfare. And the warrior of prayer means those who pray for the church members and the ministry of the church. As we see in today's text, the early Jerusalem church had warriors of prayer.

   

  However, there are not many warriors of prayer like this. This kind of prayer is being done through a small number of loyal church members. But God uses those few as instruments of refreshment of the church. It is easy for us to quickly conclude that a small number is a failure. But in almost every refreshed church, prayer was God's tool, and God answered persistent prayers. If our church wants to be refreshed, (1) Be people who will pray for God's priorities like this (2) And gather people who will pray passionately together for this. (3) And have time to pray together. (4) And become a person of persistent prayer.

   

  Looking at the prayer warriors of the refreshed churches, they had one thing in common. That is, they knew the importance of strong prayer for God's priorities. But they went a step further and knew the importance of persistent prayer and practiced it. Even if only a few joined in prayer, they did not give up.

   

  There was a warrior of prayer named Ruth who was living a life of faith in a refreshed church. Most of the people in her church didn't pay attention to her efforts to persevere in prayer. Very few people took notice of her. And those few joined her at church every Tuesday at 5:30 a.m. to pray with her. Ruth recalled it this way: "It felt like our church was heading towards death. It wasn't just the number of people in attendance that mattered, was it? We hadn't baptized a single person in over three years. The fervor during worship had long since disappeared. You can see it on the faces of the church members. I was able to see it. The atmosphere throughout the church was very depressed.” At that time, Ruth believed in the power of prayer. So, she was frustrated that more people weren't turning to God in desperate prayer. She said, "We pray for sick and dying church members (or sick people), so why would no one say we should pray for sick and dying churches?" So, Ruth decided to go first. She told people 'Let's pray for our church together.' A common pattern in refreshed churches is that one awake person started shouting (evangelism) to pray. Most of them say that this holy movement started from one person who was awake. (This is the Holy Spirit awakening the person)

   

  We need one person in our church (in this local community, too), one person who believes in God, one person who believes in the power of prayer, and one person who persistently prays. We need one person who evangelizes, one person who says that we should evangelize together, one person who obeys the command of Jesus, and one person who is persistent in evangelism. Ruth told the congregation to join in prayer at 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday. But many church members politely declined. But they started a prayer meeting anyway. Sometimes 3-4 people attended. The largest number of participants was 6 people. Usually only 1-2 people gathered. Still, they didn't give up. They continued to pray, declaring Jesus' promise that 'for where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them' (Matthew 18:20).  However, the prayer movement rarely gets immediate results.

  Would you like to hear more about Ruth's story? “I wish I could say things got better right away, but the recovery process has been frustratingly slow at times. But after two years, it started to see changes. The attitudes of the pastor and church members began to change. And at some point, the number of attendees started to increase. Our church even baptized people for three weeks in a row.’ What does this story of Ruth mean? It means that our persistent prayers are required. Of course, this does not mean that prayer alone guarantees refreshment. Even persistent prayers may not guarantee refreshment. Everything depends on God. If God wills, it will be done in God's time. We simply obey the commands of the Lord joyfully and consistently.

   

  However, there is no case in which the refreshment of the church has continued without a powerful movement of prayer, even if it is small. Prayer is essential for genuine and fundamental restoration to take place. If you look at the history of the church, there has always been a small but powerful prayer movement behind the continuous revival. Prayer is absolutely necessary. This is the reason why the apostles set the direction of the early Jerusalem church, saying, “We will devote ourselves to prayer and evangelism.” If you want to raise a powerful prayer movement (and evangelism movement) for the refreshment of our church, don't hesitate to first volunteer as a prayer warrior (hero). Even if you're not a prayer warrior, all church members can start praying for at least one minute each day for God's priorities.

   

  In a church in Indiana, there was a woman named Francis Mason.

  Whenever she met with church members, she asked them to stop at a set time and pray for one minute for the church and the pastor. She made this request to her church members and asked again and again. She may have been discouraged in her heart at the lukewarm response of her church members, but she never showed it to the pastor. It is said that God began to refresh the church. We also need someone to lead this movement.

  3.     

  It is God who refreshes us and our church. If we truly want God to work in us and in our churches, we must all go to God to pray for God's priorities above all else. We must all begin to obey the commands the Lord has given us. Remember that God willingly changed the flow of the church when a small number of church members prayed for refreshment and were zealous in evangelism. It is so important to pray together for God's priorities and to obey Jesus' Great Commission together.

  “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them (Matthew 18:19-20).” Amen!!!

   

   
  • 
  • 

• 하나님의 우선순위를 위해 기도하라 (Pray

  설교날짜: 6/25/2023

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 사도행전 4:29-31

  Sunday Worship Service’s Sermon (6-25-2023)

  Pray for God's Priority

  (Acts 4:29-31)

  1.     

  Analyzing the churches that once declined and then began to grow, it was discovered that prayers were being lifted up even before the revival was visible.  In other words, when analyzing the reviving churches, it was found that 'powerful prayer' supported the whole process of refreshment from beginning to end. But this does not mean that these people were just praying for their own wishes and desires. This means that these were people who prayed for God's priorities. What is God's priority? It is to carry out the great commission of Jesus, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything the Lord has commanded us (Matthew 28:19-20)” and it is to carry out the great commandment of Jesus, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind, and Love your neighbors as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39).” This is God's priority, and it is a priority for the churches He has established to carry out. This is also a priority for the church members to obey.

   

  But most of the time, “God’s priorities” are pushed aside by the things that we consider to be urgent in our own eyes. Jesus rebuked the disciples (those who chose to sleep) who did not pray at the moment of great crisis (Matthew 26:40-41). Like the disciples of Jesus who chose to sleep rather than pray, there are still many disciples who choose to sleep even in the midst of a crisis. There are more people who are completely involved in their own busy lives rather than in carrying out the commands given by the Lord. There are more people who are busy with their own work (Haggai 1:9). For some church members, prayer and evangelism do not seem urgent. There are more church members who see their own work as more urgent. There are more church members who put prayer and evangelism to the back of their priorities in their lives.  There may also be people who have prayed hard for other things for themselves, but have not prayed for God's priorities.

  2.     

  In the book of Acts, it is recorded that the number of disciples was increasing daily in the early Jerusalem church. However, the revival of the early Jerusalem church (which we envy) and its growth were not obtained for nothing. Acts 2 proves it. They devoted themselves to praying every day (Acts 2:42). And Acts 4:29-31 in today's text also proves this. Even in normal times, they had 'powerful prayers' for God's priorities. And as we see in today's text, in times of crisis when those in authority strongly warned and threatened the church members not to evangelize any more (Acts 4:17-21), there were strong prayers to carry out God's priority. “Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness (v29).” Did they pray like this just once or twice? No, they prayed like this every day. “Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness (v29).”

   

  The early Jerusalem church members and the Twelve Disciples regarded God's priority, — namely, this great commission given by Jesus to the church and the saved church members — as life. They regarded this as their highest mission. They regarded ‘evangelism' as a great mission that could never be taken away, should never be taken away, should never be forgotten, and should never be neglected, regardless of any interference, warnings, or threats from those who had great political, social, and religious power at the time. All of them were prayer warriors who never backed down from any spiritual obstacles or spiritual warfare, never flinched, and knew how to win. In Acts 6, the early Jerusalem church members sincerely repented of neglecting prayer and evangelism for a while because they were busy with the daily distribution of food. And they promised before God that they would devote themselves to prayer and evangelism again. In this way, if they found that they had neglected prayer and evangelism, they repented and decided to 'do their best in prayer and evangelism again' and went out to evangelize together, encouraging each other. From time to time, they checked to see how focused they were on this mission, and how obedient they were to it. Why did they do this? It's because they put so much importance on obeying Jesus and this command Jesus gave. In this way, the early Christians in Jerusalem knew that the Church of God could not continue enjoying a time of peace, could not be strengthened and could not increase in numbers daily if it was not supported by a 'powerful prayer movement (Acts 9:31).' Even when the chief priests and the people's officials warned and threatened, "Don't preach the name of Jesus Christ to people anymore," we see that they did not give in and they prayed even more powerfully, and we see in Acts 6 that they again made up their minds to 'do their best in prayer and evangelism'.  They knew that evangelism and prayer were absolutely necessary for the Church of God to live in peace and for the number of people to increase day by day.

  Prayer is an absolute requirement for the church to be the authentic church. Prayer is essential for a vibrant church. Prayer is a top priority in church revival. We must not forget what Jesus said, 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations (Mark 11:17).' Therefore, the great blessing of the Church of God is that there are warriors (heroes) of prayer and people who carry out powerful evangelism movements in that church. There are always invisible heroes of prayer in revived churches. Behind every revival story, there are always warriors of prayer. Here, the warrior (hero) of prayer does not just mean a person who prays. They are not just people who believe in the power of prayer. A warrior of prayer is a person who gathers people to pray with him for spiritual warfare. And the warrior of prayer means those who pray for the church members and the ministry of the church. As we see in today's text, the early Jerusalem church had warriors of prayer.

   

  However, there are not many warriors of prayer like this. This kind of prayer is being done through a small number of loyal church members. But God uses those few as instruments of refreshment of the church. It is easy for us to quickly conclude that a small number is a failure. But in almost every refreshed church, prayer was God's tool, and God answered persistent prayers. If our church wants to be refreshed, (1) Be people who will pray for God's priorities like this (2) And gather people who will pray passionately together for this. (3) And have time to pray together. (4) And become a person of persistent prayer.

   

  Looking at the prayer warriors of the refreshed churches, they had one thing in common. That is, they knew the importance of strong prayer for God's priorities. But they went a step further and knew the importance of persistent prayer and practiced it. Even if only a few joined in prayer, they did not give up.

   

  There was a warrior of prayer named Ruth who was living a life of faith in a refreshed church. Most of the people in her church didn't pay attention to her efforts to persevere in prayer. Very few people took notice of her. And those few joined her at church every Tuesday at 5:30 a.m. to pray with her. Ruth recalled it this way: "It felt like our church was heading towards death. It wasn't just the number of people in attendance that mattered, was it? We hadn't baptized a single person in over three years. The fervor during worship had long since disappeared. You can see it on the faces of the church members. I was able to see it. The atmosphere throughout the church was very depressed.” At that time, Ruth believed in the power of prayer. So, she was frustrated that more people weren't turning to God in desperate prayer. She said, "We pray for sick and dying church members (or sick people), so why would no one say we should pray for sick and dying churches?" So, Ruth decided to go first. She told people 'Let's pray for our church together.' A common pattern in refreshed churches is that one awake person started shouting (evangelism) to pray. Most of them say that this holy movement started from one person who was awake. (This is the Holy Spirit awakening the person)

   

  We need one person in our church (in this local community, too), one person who believes in God, one person who believes in the power of prayer, and one person who persistently prays. We need one person who evangelizes, one person who says that we should evangelize together, one person who obeys the command of Jesus, and one person who is persistent in evangelism. Ruth told the congregation to join in prayer at 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday. But many church members politely declined. But they started a prayer meeting anyway. Sometimes 3-4 people attended. The largest number of participants was 6 people. Usually only 1-2 people gathered. Still, they didn't give up. They continued to pray, declaring Jesus' promise that 'for where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them' (Matthew 18:20).  However, the prayer movement rarely gets immediate results.

  Would you like to hear more about Ruth's story? “I wish I could say things got better right away, but the recovery process has been frustratingly slow at times. But after two years, it started to see changes. The attitudes of the pastor and church members began to change. And at some point, the number of attendees started to increase. Our church even baptized people for three weeks in a row.’ What does this story of Ruth mean? It means that our persistent prayers are required. Of course, this does not mean that prayer alone guarantees refreshment. Even persistent prayers may not guarantee refreshment. Everything depends on God. If God wills, it will be done in God's time. We simply obey the commands of the Lord joyfully and consistently.

   

  However, there is no case in which the refreshment of the church has continued without a powerful movement of prayer, even if it is small. Prayer is essential for genuine and fundamental restoration to take place. If you look at the history of the church, there has always been a small but powerful prayer movement behind the continuous revival. Prayer is absolutely necessary. This is the reason why the apostles set the direction of the early Jerusalem church, saying, “We will devote ourselves to prayer and evangelism.” If you want to raise a powerful prayer movement (and evangelism movement) for the refreshment of our church, don't hesitate to first volunteer as a prayer warrior (hero). Even if you're not a prayer warrior, all church members can start praying for at least one minute each day for God's priorities.

   

  In a church in Indiana, there was a woman named Francis Mason.

  Whenever she met with church members, she asked them to stop at a set time and pray for one minute for the church and the pastor. She made this request to her church members and asked again and again. She may have been discouraged in her heart at the lukewarm response of her church members, but she never showed it to the pastor. It is said that God began to refresh the church. We also need someone to lead this movement.

  3.     

  It is God who refreshes us and our church. If we truly want God to work in us and in our churches, we must all go to God to pray for God's priorities above all else. We must all begin to obey the commands the Lord has given us. Remember that God willingly changed the flow of the church when a small number of church members prayed for refreshment and were zealous in evangelism. It is so important to pray together for God's priorities and to obey Jesus' Great Commission together.

  “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them (Matthew 18:19-20).” Amen!!!

   

   
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하나님의 우선순위를 위해 기도하라 (Pray for God's Priority)

설교날짜: 6/25/2023

설교자: 김덕신 목사

설교본문: 사도행전 4:29-31

• 그리스도의 마음을 닮은 사람들 (People

  설교날짜: 6/18/2023

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 빌립보서 2:1-11

  Sunday Worship Service’s Sermon (6-18-2023)

  People Who Have the Heart of Christ

  (Philippians 2:1-11)

  1.     

  Today's text is a letter written by Paul to the Philippians. Whenever Paul mentioned local churches such as the church in Ephesus, the church in Philippi, the church in Colossae, and the church in Galatia, he went beyond a self-centered attitude and taught an others-centered attitude.

  2.     

  So, he advised the Philippians ‘not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others’ (v4).

  (Let’s look at verses 3-5) “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.”

   

  It is really difficult for us to ‘live with an attitude of others-centeredness’ like this. It is really not easy to consider others better than yourself with a humble heart and take care of other's interests. Furthermore, almost all people in the world live with a ‘self-centered attitude’. However, Paul emphasized to the Philippians, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves and each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” In this way, Paul emphasized the other-centered attitude to the church members.

   

  What does this mean? It means that the true Church of God “takes care of the people around us” with the heart of Jesus Christ. Also, it means that the vibrant and living churches “reach out to the people in the local community and take care of them with interest.” Whose heart did Paul say this was? Yes, he said it was 'the heart of Jesus Christ.' He said this is 'the heart that Jesus Christ gives us'. Last week, I read a book called 'The Autopsy of a Deceased Church' by Pastor Thom S. Rainer. He says in his book: 'Like this, the churches that have the heart of Jesus Christ approach the residents of the local community and take care of them with interest.' And 'a church with believers who have the heart of Jesus Christ will grow vigorously.' On the other hand, the church that has lost its heart and ministry toward the local community (that is, the church that remains only within its own church) is walking toward death.'

   

  Our church has been diligently taking care of our neighbors in need for the past five years. Every year during the winter season, one of the two coats we had was given to poor neighbors. And we also participated in the Christmas party of the residents of the Diamond Street in North Philadelphia. We also took part in caring for the homeless in our area. The homeless ministry, which was held once every year during the Christmas season, has changed since last year by adding one more time. And we visited and cared for neighbors suffering from cancer or Parkinson's disease in our area. We visited our neighbors who were grieving the death of a loved one and provided funeral expenses for them. We also took care of the pastor's family, whose life was difficult due to the pandemic. We also took care of the children of the pastor's family who had been suffering from illness for a long time. God, who established our church here and called us here as the first person and first families, gave us the “heart of Jesus Christ,” and has led us to reach out to the local residents and serve them in this way. I thank God for holding us in His hands and using us in these ways for the past five years.

   

  I also would like to share another example of how important it is to, in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others in our families, churches, and local communities.

   

  There was one church where most of its members wanted only a traditional style of worship on Sundays at 11 am. So, the young adults of the church, who wanted a modern style of worship, started their own modern worship service at 8:30 am. There was a Bible study between the two services. In fact, even the 8:30 service was not very modern by general standards. An acoustic guitar, an occasional CCM song in between traditional hymns, and a keyboard instead of an organ. That was all. It was just a way of adding a modern element to traditional worship.

  With this new service, the church experienced growth for the first time in 20 years. The average number of attendees increased by 30 with the start of the new service. The number of church members in attendance was recorded at 92, the highest figure in five years. Young adults brought their friends to 1st service. But they kept hearing the same thing over and over again. “The worship service is so good, but I think it would be good for us and the children if we delayed it a bit.” The solution seemed simple. It could be solved by moving the traditional 2nd worship service to 8:30 am and the modern 1st service to 11am. However, the older church members thought differently. A vote was required to change the service time. At least some church members said so. Anyway, that's how the meeting started. The joint council of hell had begun. About 150 people attended. Among them, there were members who had not been to church for more than five years. Most of the church members did not know each other. Church members had been calling in people who would vote against the change. The words exchanged during the meeting were vicious. The criticism against each other was fierce. Some even said that “I heard that the guitar is 'the devil's’”. One member went so far as to say that he would destroy the church before he could change the service hours. The vote was not passed. Nothing has changed. However, the first worship service disappeared after 5 weeks. By the end of that year, attendance had dropped to 43. And less than eight years later, the church closed.

   

  This is really the worst news. What do you think led to these results?

  It was because many church members had a self-centered attitude. If they had the heart of Jesus Christ, who could ‘only be humble, consider others better than themselves, and look to the interests of others, these results would not have come about. Therefore, the Church of God must take its eyes off itself and look at others. A church cannot survive in the long run if its members only think about and insist on their own preferences.

   

  So, in today's text, Paul taught the Philippians about the attitude that resembles Christ that all Christians should have. “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” (v5)

   

  And Paul explained how Jesus specifically did it in verses 6-8:

  (1) “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, (2) but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. (3) And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself (4) and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!”

   

  In 2008, there was a book that took the world by storm. It is a book called “The Love Dare.” This book depicts the challenge of a husband who is trying to save a dying marital relationship. His father gave him a small notebook to record his 40-day challenge to be a better husband. Each day for 40 days, he did an altruistic deed for his wife and recorded them in this book. This was later published in the world under the title of “The Love Dare.” This book contains the teachings of the Bible that 'couples should pursue each other's interests.' This book is about altruism and other-centered attitudes. This book has sold tens of millions of copies. Above all, through this book, countless families have been revived and strengthened. Like this, if you have the attitude of being humble, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others, whether you are a family or a church, your lives can be restored and can become stronger. Even in the church, the relationship among the church members should be done in this way. The church is not a country club. The church is not a place to take care of your own benefit. The church exists to benefit each other with the mind of Jesus Christ.

  3.     

  What lessons does this fact teach us? (1) It is that healthy Christians are those whose attitude resembles the heart of Jesus Christ. It is that the healthy church members are those who have an attitude of being others-centered and benefiting each other. In this way, if the attitude of the heart of the church members grows up into Jesus Christ, the church community will be full of vitality. In other words, a church with a self-sacrificing attitude grows. (2) It is that ‘the church that holds on to the truth of the Bible grows’. It is that the church where there are people who have the heart of Jesus Christ is actively growing. It is that the church with members who walk the right path in front of God is growing stronger and stronger.

  The Holy Spirit who has come to us helps us live with the mind of Jesus Christ. I pray that we all grow into disciples of Jesus who have the heart of Jesus Christ with the help of the Holy Spirit. Amen!!

  • 
  • 

• 그리스도의 마음을 닮은 사람들 (People

  설교날짜: 6/18/2023

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 빌립보서 2:1-11

  Sunday Worship Service’s Sermon (6-18-2023)

  People Who Have the Heart of Christ

  (Philippians 2:1-11)

  1.     

  Today's text is a letter written by Paul to the Philippians. Whenever Paul mentioned local churches such as the church in Ephesus, the church in Philippi, the church in Colossae, and the church in Galatia, he went beyond a self-centered attitude and taught an others-centered attitude.

  2.     

  So, he advised the Philippians ‘not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others’ (v4).

  (Let’s look at verses 3-5) “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.”

   

  It is really difficult for us to ‘live with an attitude of others-centeredness’ like this. It is really not easy to consider others better than yourself with a humble heart and take care of other's interests. Furthermore, almost all people in the world live with a ‘self-centered attitude’. However, Paul emphasized to the Philippians, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves and each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” In this way, Paul emphasized the other-centered attitude to the church members.

   

  What does this mean? It means that the true Church of God “takes care of the people around us” with the heart of Jesus Christ. Also, it means that the vibrant and living churches “reach out to the people in the local community and take care of them with interest.” Whose heart did Paul say this was? Yes, he said it was 'the heart of Jesus Christ.' He said this is 'the heart that Jesus Christ gives us'. Last week, I read a book called 'The Autopsy of a Deceased Church' by Pastor Thom S. Rainer. He says in his book: 'Like this, the churches that have the heart of Jesus Christ approach the residents of the local community and take care of them with interest.' And 'a church with believers who have the heart of Jesus Christ will grow vigorously.' On the other hand, the church that has lost its heart and ministry toward the local community (that is, the church that remains only within its own church) is walking toward death.'

   

  Our church has been diligently taking care of our neighbors in need for the past five years. Every year during the winter season, one of the two coats we had was given to poor neighbors. And we also participated in the Christmas party of the residents of the Diamond Street in North Philadelphia. We also took part in caring for the homeless in our area. The homeless ministry, which was held once every year during the Christmas season, has changed since last year by adding one more time. And we visited and cared for neighbors suffering from cancer or Parkinson's disease in our area. We visited our neighbors who were grieving the death of a loved one and provided funeral expenses for them. We also took care of the pastor's family, whose life was difficult due to the pandemic. We also took care of the children of the pastor's family who had been suffering from illness for a long time. God, who established our church here and called us here as the first person and first families, gave us the “heart of Jesus Christ,” and has led us to reach out to the local residents and serve them in this way. I thank God for holding us in His hands and using us in these ways for the past five years.

   

  I also would like to share another example of how important it is to, in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others in our families, churches, and local communities.

   

  There was one church where most of its members wanted only a traditional style of worship on Sundays at 11 am. So, the young adults of the church, who wanted a modern style of worship, started their own modern worship service at 8:30 am. There was a Bible study between the two services. In fact, even the 8:30 service was not very modern by general standards. An acoustic guitar, an occasional CCM song in between traditional hymns, and a keyboard instead of an organ. That was all. It was just a way of adding a modern element to traditional worship.

  With this new service, the church experienced growth for the first time in 20 years. The average number of attendees increased by 30 with the start of the new service. The number of church members in attendance was recorded at 92, the highest figure in five years. Young adults brought their friends to 1st service. But they kept hearing the same thing over and over again. “The worship service is so good, but I think it would be good for us and the children if we delayed it a bit.” The solution seemed simple. It could be solved by moving the traditional 2nd worship service to 8:30 am and the modern 1st service to 11am. However, the older church members thought differently. A vote was required to change the service time. At least some church members said so. Anyway, that's how the meeting started. The joint council of hell had begun. About 150 people attended. Among them, there were members who had not been to church for more than five years. Most of the church members did not know each other. Church members had been calling in people who would vote against the change. The words exchanged during the meeting were vicious. The criticism against each other was fierce. Some even said that “I heard that the guitar is 'the devil's’”. One member went so far as to say that he would destroy the church before he could change the service hours. The vote was not passed. Nothing has changed. However, the first worship service disappeared after 5 weeks. By the end of that year, attendance had dropped to 43. And less than eight years later, the church closed.

   

  This is really the worst news. What do you think led to these results?

  It was because many church members had a self-centered attitude. If they had the heart of Jesus Christ, who could ‘only be humble, consider others better than themselves, and look to the interests of others, these results would not have come about. Therefore, the Church of God must take its eyes off itself and look at others. A church cannot survive in the long run if its members only think about and insist on their own preferences.

   

  So, in today's text, Paul taught the Philippians about the attitude that resembles Christ that all Christians should have. “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” (v5)

   

  And Paul explained how Jesus specifically did it in verses 6-8:

  (1) “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, (2) but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. (3) And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself (4) and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!”

   

  In 2008, there was a book that took the world by storm. It is a book called “The Love Dare.” This book depicts the challenge of a husband who is trying to save a dying marital relationship. His father gave him a small notebook to record his 40-day challenge to be a better husband. Each day for 40 days, he did an altruistic deed for his wife and recorded them in this book. This was later published in the world under the title of “The Love Dare.” This book contains the teachings of the Bible that 'couples should pursue each other's interests.' This book is about altruism and other-centered attitudes. This book has sold tens of millions of copies. Above all, through this book, countless families have been revived and strengthened. Like this, if you have the attitude of being humble, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others, whether you are a family or a church, your lives can be restored and can become stronger. Even in the church, the relationship among the church members should be done in this way. The church is not a country club. The church is not a place to take care of your own benefit. The church exists to benefit each other with the mind of Jesus Christ.

  3.     

  What lessons does this fact teach us? (1) It is that healthy Christians are those whose attitude resembles the heart of Jesus Christ. It is that the healthy church members are those who have an attitude of being others-centered and benefiting each other. In this way, if the attitude of the heart of the church members grows up into Jesus Christ, the church community will be full of vitality. In other words, a church with a self-sacrificing attitude grows. (2) It is that ‘the church that holds on to the truth of the Bible grows’. It is that the church where there are people who have the heart of Jesus Christ is actively growing. It is that the church with members who walk the right path in front of God is growing stronger and stronger.

  The Holy Spirit who has come to us helps us live with the mind of Jesus Christ. I pray that we all grow into disciples of Jesus who have the heart of Jesus Christ with the help of the Holy Spirit. Amen!!

  • 
  • 

그리스도의 마음을 닮은 사람들 (People who have the heart of Christ)

설교날짜: 6/18/2023

설교자: 김덕신 목사

설교본문: 빌립보서 2:1-11