• 주께서 내 마음을 열어 복음을 듣게 하셨다

  설교날짜: 10/29/2023

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 사도행전 16:11-15

  주께서 내 마음을 열어 복음을 듣게 하셨다 (The Lord opened my heart to Respond the Gospel) 

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  • 

• 주께서 내 마음을 열어 복음을 듣게 하셨다

  설교날짜: 10/29/2023

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 사도행전 16:11-15

  주께서 내 마음을 열어 복음을 듣게 하셨다 (The Lord opened my heart to Respond the Gospel) 

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  • 

주께서 내 마음을 열어 복음을 듣게 하셨다 (The Lord opened my heart to Respond the Gospel)

설교날짜: 10/29/2023

설교자: 김덕신 목사

설교본문: 사도행전 16:11-15

• 예수의 영이 허락하시는 대로 (As the

  설교날짜: 10/22/2023

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 사도행전 16:1-15

  Sunday Worship Service Sermon (10-22-2023)

   

  As the Spirit of Jesus would allow

  (Acts 16:1-15)

  1.     

  A pastor came to see Pastor Billy Graham and asked. “Pastor, how can the church be revived?” At that time, Pastor Billy Graham answered him as follows: “As long as the pastor does not become an obstacle to God, the church will revive.”

  Today's text is the story of Paul and his companions on their second missionary journey and they almost became God's hindrances. (We can be a hindrance to God or be helpful to God and His work)

   

  Paul began his second missionary journey with Silas to see how the believers who had heard the gospel through him and Barnabas during the first missionary journey were doing and to further strengthen their faith (Acts 15:36). They traveled to Syria, Cilicia, Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, Pisidian Antioch, etc., visiting the believers. These are all areas where Paul and Barnabas preached the gospel during their first missionary journey. (Acts 13:41). So, the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers (Verse 5). And during this travel, Paul met Timothy, who was living in Lystra, and Paul had Timothy accompany them on their missionary journey (Verse 1). Afterwards, Paul planned to go straight west and preach at Ephesus in Asia, next to Pisidian Antioch. However, Paul and his companions were kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia (Verse 6). So, they traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, located north of Antioch in Pisidia, and they came to the border of Mysia, trying to enter Bithynia under the Black Sea (Verse 7), but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So, they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas (Verse 8).

  2.     

  There are important words to note here. One is, (verse 6), ‘having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia', and the other is, (verse 7), ‘The Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.’

  It was the Holy Spirit who called Barnabas and Paul, who were living religious lives at the Antioch church, and said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Paul for the work to which I have called them’ (mission to the Gentiles). So, after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off (Acts 13:1-3). And the two men began their missionary journey after being sent by the Holy Spirit. And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and preached the gospel wherever they went (Acts 13:9).

   

  This is a pattern that was repeated over and over again with Paul, Barnabas, and the church in Antioch (and throughout the book of Acts): 'The Holy Spirit said’, 'Sent by the Holy Spirit’, 'filled with the Holy Spirit’, and they immediately stopped doing what the Holy Spirit was preventing them from doing. They immediately stopped doing what the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. What life patterns do we see in these people? We can see that the Antioch Church, Barnabas, and Paul are always acting under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This is the life of the church (disciples) established by the Lord. If we have lost this life, we must repent and quickly recover. This shows us how our church community and the believers should live in the world (the attitude of life).

   

  We are people who confess this faith and live according to this faith, ‘You are Christ, the living God’. People who make this profession of faith and live with this faith must be people who live with this attitude of life. We must live as the Holy Spirit speaks and as the Spirit of Jesus allows, so that we can receive guidance from God (like the Antioch church, like Barnabas and Paul) and achieve God's will. If we do not live like this, the works of God will not happen through us. Then, we will see that everything remains at the level of what we can do with our own strength.

   

  Because they knew this fact, Paul and his group obeyed the Holy Spirit's prohibition against preaching the Word in Asia. And they tried to go to Bithynia, but when the Spirit of Jesus did not allow it, they again followed the will of the Holy Spirit and stopped their will and plan. And as the Spirit of Jesus permitted, the place they went to was Troas (this is a port city).

   

  During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia (now Greece, Europe) and help us (verse 9). After Paul had seen the vision, they got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called them to preach the gospel to them (Verse 10).

   

  ‘To preach the gospel to them’ (verse 10) – this is why God called us. This is why He brought us here. This is why He saved us and why He established our church here. This is why our church is here even in difficult times. This is why we live here. This is why He gave us health and business. Who is 'that person to whom we will preach the gospel' for you?

   

  When Paul and his companions realized through this vision why the Holy Spirit had led them there, they immediately obeyed the Holy Spirit. They got ready at once to leave for Macedonia. We must also become people who can get ready at once to ‘spread the gospel to those people.’ This is the image of the ‘Church established by the Lord’ shown in the Bible. So, they put out from Troas to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace (Island), and the next day they went on to Neapolis (Port) (Verse 11). And from there they traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia (Verse 12). Paul and his company stayed there several days and, on the Sabbath, they went outside the city gate to the river, where they expected to find a place of prayer (verse 13). Whenever Paul went to a new city, he always searched the Jewish synagogue first. Jews could only build a synagogue if there were 10 adults over the age of 20. However, because there were not 10 Jews in Philippi, a synagogue could not be built. That's why Paul and his company went outside the city gate to the river expecting to find a place of prayer on the Sabbath. Then Paul sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there (verse 13). One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, who was a worshiper of God (but did not know Jesus) and a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira. This woman was a businesswoman from Asia who had come to Philippi. The Bible says that this woman was a dealer of purple cloth. Purple was the clothing worn by kings and nobles in ancient times. This woman must have been wealthy because she did business with kings and nobles.

  The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. (verse 14).

  She and the members of her household were baptized and she invited Paul and his company to her home to stay at her house. Lydia’s family became the first believers of the Philippian church, which became the first church in Europe. And through Paul and his companions, God saved the jailer in the Philippi prison and his household, allowing his family also to be among the first believers of the Philippian church.

   

  Looking at these results, we can fully understand why the Holy Spirit kept Paul and his companions from preaching the word in the province of Asia and why the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to go to Bithynia when they tried to do so. This is because God wanted Paul and his party to visit this woman and her family in Europe and spread the gospel to her and save them all. And because God wanted to save the jailer and his family in the Philippian prison, he sent Paul and his group there to preach the gospel to them. Through them, God wanted to establish a church there and save all the Gentiles in Europe. This is how the Philippian Church, the first church in Europe, began. Lydia's family and the jailer's family became the first believer of the Philippian church.

   

  The Philippian church, established in this way, became the best supporter and co-worker of Paul's mission throughout his life. To carry out God's plan, the Holy Spirit sent Paul and his group 1,216 km (or about 755 miles) from Antioch in Syria to Philippi: It is 1,000 km (or about 620 miles) by land from Antioch in Syria to Troas. And from Troas to Neapolis, it is 200 km (or about 125 miles) by sea. And from Neapolis to Philippi, it is 16 km (or 10 miles) by land.

   

  The love and grace of God who wants to save a life and a family is amazing. God is the one who pours everything out for the salvation of a family. So, to save you and me, God came from heaven to us on earth in a human body, took on the cross to save us from sin and death, and was resurrected three days later. Moreover, in order to save your and my family, God sent us someone like Paul, who was so full of the joy of salvation, so that we could hear this gospel. In order to save these two families, the Holy Spirit kept Paul and his company from preaching the word in the province of Asia and led them from Antioch in Syria to Philippi.

   

  If Paul and his companions had ignored (=rejected) the guidance of the Holy Spirit and moved according to the plans and will that they believed to be right, then Paul and his companions would have become an obstacle to God's plan to save Lydia's family and the jailer's family. And they would have become obstacles to the work of God who wanted to spread the gospel beyond Asia to Europe. However, when they lived as people of God, they laid themselves down and always obeyed the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Even though they made their plans for the Lord, they stopped immediately if the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to continue. So, God continued to work with them as they lived according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and He accomplished His will through them.

  3.     

  The reason God gave us these words was so that we would also live as the Spirit of Jesus allows and as the Holy Spirit leads. If we are living as we please rather than following the guidance of the Holy Spirit, God wants us to restore the life led by the Holy Spirit. Only then can we become people who are helpful to God and His work.

   

  So, what should we do if we want to live as the Spirit of Jesus allows (if we want to live according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit)?

  (1) We should pray that no matter what we do or who we meet, the Holy Spirit will always lead us and guide us to live as the Spirit of Jesus allows. (2) And Like Jesus, we must pray, “Yet not my will, but Father’s will be done.” (3) Also, by reading, learning, and listening to the Word of the Lord every day, we should to try to live with God’s wisdom in all circumstances. Above all, the life led by the Holy Spirit is 'to go and share the gospel with those outside the church who ask us to come and help them.' Paul and his companions not only went to Macedonia as allowed by the Spirit of Jesus, but also preached the gospel to the people whom the Lord had met, whether by the river or in prison. Paul and his companions lived a life led by the Holy Spirit. I believe that God will help us live a life like this. Amen!

   

  • 
  • 

• 예수의 영이 허락하시는 대로 (As the

  설교날짜: 10/22/2023

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 사도행전 16:1-15

  Sunday Worship Service Sermon (10-22-2023)

   

  As the Spirit of Jesus would allow

  (Acts 16:1-15)

  1.     

  A pastor came to see Pastor Billy Graham and asked. “Pastor, how can the church be revived?” At that time, Pastor Billy Graham answered him as follows: “As long as the pastor does not become an obstacle to God, the church will revive.”

  Today's text is the story of Paul and his companions on their second missionary journey and they almost became God's hindrances. (We can be a hindrance to God or be helpful to God and His work)

   

  Paul began his second missionary journey with Silas to see how the believers who had heard the gospel through him and Barnabas during the first missionary journey were doing and to further strengthen their faith (Acts 15:36). They traveled to Syria, Cilicia, Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, Pisidian Antioch, etc., visiting the believers. These are all areas where Paul and Barnabas preached the gospel during their first missionary journey. (Acts 13:41). So, the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers (Verse 5). And during this travel, Paul met Timothy, who was living in Lystra, and Paul had Timothy accompany them on their missionary journey (Verse 1). Afterwards, Paul planned to go straight west and preach at Ephesus in Asia, next to Pisidian Antioch. However, Paul and his companions were kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia (Verse 6). So, they traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, located north of Antioch in Pisidia, and they came to the border of Mysia, trying to enter Bithynia under the Black Sea (Verse 7), but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So, they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas (Verse 8).

  2.     

  There are important words to note here. One is, (verse 6), ‘having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia', and the other is, (verse 7), ‘The Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.’

  It was the Holy Spirit who called Barnabas and Paul, who were living religious lives at the Antioch church, and said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Paul for the work to which I have called them’ (mission to the Gentiles). So, after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off (Acts 13:1-3). And the two men began their missionary journey after being sent by the Holy Spirit. And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and preached the gospel wherever they went (Acts 13:9).

   

  This is a pattern that was repeated over and over again with Paul, Barnabas, and the church in Antioch (and throughout the book of Acts): 'The Holy Spirit said’, 'Sent by the Holy Spirit’, 'filled with the Holy Spirit’, and they immediately stopped doing what the Holy Spirit was preventing them from doing. They immediately stopped doing what the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. What life patterns do we see in these people? We can see that the Antioch Church, Barnabas, and Paul are always acting under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This is the life of the church (disciples) established by the Lord. If we have lost this life, we must repent and quickly recover. This shows us how our church community and the believers should live in the world (the attitude of life).

   

  We are people who confess this faith and live according to this faith, ‘You are Christ, the living God’. People who make this profession of faith and live with this faith must be people who live with this attitude of life. We must live as the Holy Spirit speaks and as the Spirit of Jesus allows, so that we can receive guidance from God (like the Antioch church, like Barnabas and Paul) and achieve God's will. If we do not live like this, the works of God will not happen through us. Then, we will see that everything remains at the level of what we can do with our own strength.

   

  Because they knew this fact, Paul and his group obeyed the Holy Spirit's prohibition against preaching the Word in Asia. And they tried to go to Bithynia, but when the Spirit of Jesus did not allow it, they again followed the will of the Holy Spirit and stopped their will and plan. And as the Spirit of Jesus permitted, the place they went to was Troas (this is a port city).

   

  During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia (now Greece, Europe) and help us (verse 9). After Paul had seen the vision, they got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called them to preach the gospel to them (Verse 10).

   

  ‘To preach the gospel to them’ (verse 10) – this is why God called us. This is why He brought us here. This is why He saved us and why He established our church here. This is why our church is here even in difficult times. This is why we live here. This is why He gave us health and business. Who is 'that person to whom we will preach the gospel' for you?

   

  When Paul and his companions realized through this vision why the Holy Spirit had led them there, they immediately obeyed the Holy Spirit. They got ready at once to leave for Macedonia. We must also become people who can get ready at once to ‘spread the gospel to those people.’ This is the image of the ‘Church established by the Lord’ shown in the Bible. So, they put out from Troas to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace (Island), and the next day they went on to Neapolis (Port) (Verse 11). And from there they traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia (Verse 12). Paul and his company stayed there several days and, on the Sabbath, they went outside the city gate to the river, where they expected to find a place of prayer (verse 13). Whenever Paul went to a new city, he always searched the Jewish synagogue first. Jews could only build a synagogue if there were 10 adults over the age of 20. However, because there were not 10 Jews in Philippi, a synagogue could not be built. That's why Paul and his company went outside the city gate to the river expecting to find a place of prayer on the Sabbath. Then Paul sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there (verse 13). One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, who was a worshiper of God (but did not know Jesus) and a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira. This woman was a businesswoman from Asia who had come to Philippi. The Bible says that this woman was a dealer of purple cloth. Purple was the clothing worn by kings and nobles in ancient times. This woman must have been wealthy because she did business with kings and nobles.

  The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. (verse 14).

  She and the members of her household were baptized and she invited Paul and his company to her home to stay at her house. Lydia’s family became the first believers of the Philippian church, which became the first church in Europe. And through Paul and his companions, God saved the jailer in the Philippi prison and his household, allowing his family also to be among the first believers of the Philippian church.

   

  Looking at these results, we can fully understand why the Holy Spirit kept Paul and his companions from preaching the word in the province of Asia and why the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to go to Bithynia when they tried to do so. This is because God wanted Paul and his party to visit this woman and her family in Europe and spread the gospel to her and save them all. And because God wanted to save the jailer and his family in the Philippian prison, he sent Paul and his group there to preach the gospel to them. Through them, God wanted to establish a church there and save all the Gentiles in Europe. This is how the Philippian Church, the first church in Europe, began. Lydia's family and the jailer's family became the first believer of the Philippian church.

   

  The Philippian church, established in this way, became the best supporter and co-worker of Paul's mission throughout his life. To carry out God's plan, the Holy Spirit sent Paul and his group 1,216 km (or about 755 miles) from Antioch in Syria to Philippi: It is 1,000 km (or about 620 miles) by land from Antioch in Syria to Troas. And from Troas to Neapolis, it is 200 km (or about 125 miles) by sea. And from Neapolis to Philippi, it is 16 km (or 10 miles) by land.

   

  The love and grace of God who wants to save a life and a family is amazing. God is the one who pours everything out for the salvation of a family. So, to save you and me, God came from heaven to us on earth in a human body, took on the cross to save us from sin and death, and was resurrected three days later. Moreover, in order to save your and my family, God sent us someone like Paul, who was so full of the joy of salvation, so that we could hear this gospel. In order to save these two families, the Holy Spirit kept Paul and his company from preaching the word in the province of Asia and led them from Antioch in Syria to Philippi.

   

  If Paul and his companions had ignored (=rejected) the guidance of the Holy Spirit and moved according to the plans and will that they believed to be right, then Paul and his companions would have become an obstacle to God's plan to save Lydia's family and the jailer's family. And they would have become obstacles to the work of God who wanted to spread the gospel beyond Asia to Europe. However, when they lived as people of God, they laid themselves down and always obeyed the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Even though they made their plans for the Lord, they stopped immediately if the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to continue. So, God continued to work with them as they lived according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and He accomplished His will through them.

  3.     

  The reason God gave us these words was so that we would also live as the Spirit of Jesus allows and as the Holy Spirit leads. If we are living as we please rather than following the guidance of the Holy Spirit, God wants us to restore the life led by the Holy Spirit. Only then can we become people who are helpful to God and His work.

   

  So, what should we do if we want to live as the Spirit of Jesus allows (if we want to live according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit)?

  (1) We should pray that no matter what we do or who we meet, the Holy Spirit will always lead us and guide us to live as the Spirit of Jesus allows. (2) And Like Jesus, we must pray, “Yet not my will, but Father’s will be done.” (3) Also, by reading, learning, and listening to the Word of the Lord every day, we should to try to live with God’s wisdom in all circumstances. Above all, the life led by the Holy Spirit is 'to go and share the gospel with those outside the church who ask us to come and help them.' Paul and his companions not only went to Macedonia as allowed by the Spirit of Jesus, but also preached the gospel to the people whom the Lord had met, whether by the river or in prison. Paul and his companions lived a life led by the Holy Spirit. I believe that God will help us live a life like this. Amen!

   

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  • 

예수의 영이 허락하시는 대로 (As the Spirit of Jesus Would Allow)

설교날짜: 10/22/2023

설교자: 김덕신 목사

설교본문: 사도행전 16:1-15

• 항상 하나님의 은혜 가운데 있으라 (Cont

  설교날짜: 10/15/2023

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 사도행전 15:1-11

  항상 하나님의 은혜 가운데 있으라 (Continue in the Grace of God) 

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• 항상 하나님의 은혜 가운데 있으라 (Cont

  설교날짜: 10/15/2023

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 사도행전 15:1-11

  항상 하나님의 은혜 가운데 있으라 (Continue in the Grace of God) 

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  • 

항상 하나님의 은혜 가운데 있으라 (Continue in the Grace of God)

설교날짜: 10/15/2023

설교자: 김덕신 목사

설교본문: 사도행전 15:1-11

• 이 사람을 힘입어 (Through Jesus

  설교날짜: 10/08/2023

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 사도행전 13:38-39

  이 사람을 힘입어 (Through Jesus) 

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  • 

• 이 사람을 힘입어 (Through Jesus

  설교날짜: 10/08/2023

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 사도행전 13:38-39

  이 사람을 힘입어 (Through Jesus) 

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  • 

이 사람을 힘입어 (Through Jesus)

설교날짜: 10/08/2023

설교자: 김덕신 목사

설교본문: 사도행전 13:38-39

• 간절한 기도의 능력 (The Power of

  설교날짜: 10/01/2023

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 사도행전 12:1-12

  간절한 기도의 능력 (The Power of Earnest Prayer) 

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  • 

• 간절한 기도의 능력 (The Power of

  설교날짜: 10/01/2023

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 사도행전 12:1-12

  간절한 기도의 능력 (The Power of Earnest Prayer) 

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  • 

간절한 기도의 능력 (The Power of Earnest Prayer)

설교날짜: 10/01/2023

설교자: 김덕신 목사

설교본문: 사도행전 12:1-12

• 첫번째로 그리스도인이라 불리운 제자들 (Th

  설교날짜: 9/24/2023

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 사도행전 11:19-30

  The Disciples 

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• 첫번째로 그리스도인이라 불리운 제자들 (Th

  설교날짜: 9/24/2023

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 사도행전 11:19-30

  The Disciples 

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첫번째로 그리스도인이라 불리운 제자들 (The Disciples First Called Christians)

설교날짜: 9/24/2023

설교자: 김덕신 목사

설교본문: 사도행전 11:19-30

• 성령을 구하는 기도 (Prayer to Re

  설교날짜: 9/17/2023

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 사도행전 1:4-26

  Sunday Worship Service Sermon (9-17-2023)

  Pray to Receive the Holy Spirit

  (Acts 1:4-26)

  1.

  Praying to receive the Holy Spirit or to be filled with the Holy Spirit is not something to pray every now and then. This is a prayer that must be asked of God first and foremost, and a prayer that must be asked of God every day.

   

  2.

   

  Today's text is the last command on earth given by the resurrected Jesus to about 500 people, including 11 disciples, gathered on the Mount of Olives before his ascension to heaven.  Let me read verses 4-5. “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 was baptized with water, but in a few days, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’”  So, the first thing they were to do was to pray to receive the Holy Spirit that the Father promised.

   

  Here, 'do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for what the Father has promised, which you have heard from me' means that you must first of all pray to receive the Holy Spirit that the Father has promised. In other words, Jesus tells us that there is something we must do first after being saved. That is, ‘we pray to receive the Holy Spirit, and we pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ Why should we do that? Because only then can we live as witnesses of Jesus in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Who ordered us to do this? Yes, Jesus commanded us to do so. This is not what Peter said. This is the command Jesus gave to his 11 disciples and the 500 people gathered there as he ascended to heaven. Are you and I obeying this command of Jesus? We pray for our own wishes and desires. We pray earnestly every day for our needs and for God’s help. However, we can see that Jesus' earnest command, “Pray 'first' to receive the Holy Spirit promised by the Father”, is far from our prayers. Of course, it is perfectly fine for us to ask God for our wishes and needs, and for His help. However, whenever we pray, the first thing we should ask God for is to receive the Holy Spirit and to be filled with the Holy Spirit. In a life of faith, following the commands Jesus gave us should always come first (rather than ours).

  Jesus commanded his disciples and about 500 people: ‘Above all else, pray first to receive the Holy Spirit that the Father has promised.’ Then, someone among them asked Jesus: “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Verse 6). (=Lord, our concern now is for Israel to be restored. When does it happen?)

   

  What were they really asking? They were asking Jesus about when what they hoped for would come true. In short, they have no interest in what Jesus has said to them so far. It means that they are only interested in having their own wishes come true.

   

  Church members are still like this today. We are not particularly interested in what Jesus tells us to ‘ask for first.’ We are not really interested in what Jesus tells us to do. We always put ourselves (our will, our wishes, our plans) before the words of Jesus. However, those who live by this faith, ‘You are the Christ, the living God,’ always put Jesus first. At that time, Jesus said to them: "it is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 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" (verses 7-8). After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (Verses 9-11).

   

  If Jesus' disciples at that time had not followed Jesus' command and prayed for the Holy Spirit and had not received the power of the Holy Spirit, they would not have lived as witnesses of Jesus in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. The gospel would never have been spread as widely in this land as it is now.

  However, out of the 500 people who received this command from Jesus, 120 went up to the upper room where they were staying. And with one heart they prayed earnestly for the Father to send the promised Holy Spirit (Verse 14). By the way, if you look at today's text, while they were praying earnestly to receive the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit revealed something through Peter to the people gathered there. This was to appoint a disciple to replace Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus and committed suicide. This was something they had never thought of before they prayed to receive the Holy Spirit. However, the Holy Spirit helped them understand God's will while they were praying to receive the Holy Spirit. In addition, the Holy Spirit, through Peter, revealed to us who to raise as disciples and how (in what way) to select disciples.

   

  First of all, the Holy Spirit taught them that it was necessary to choose one of the men who had been with the disciples the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among them, beginning from the first day Jesus began his public ministry to the day he ascended to heaven. These are the ones qualified to be Jesus' disciples (Verse 21-22). And the Holy Spirit taught them, 'The person must be the one to testify of the resurrection of Jesus along with the 11 disciples'(Verse 22).

   

  I wonder:  Why did the Holy Spirit make them realize this while they were earnestly praying to receive the Holy Spirit? Through this, 120 people realized how to live as disciples of Jesus. They realized what it means to ‘live as a church established by the Lord.’ Before sending the Holy Spirit to them, God prepared their hearts to fully obey the work of the Holy Spirit in them as disciples of Jesus through a time of earnest prayer asking to receive the Holy Spirit. And when they received the power of the Holy Spirit and decided to live as witnesses of Jesus in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth, and prayed to receive the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit came to them. Before God pours out the Holy Spirit on us, He sees if we want to live like this. Before God pours out the Holy Spirit on us, He prepares us to live like this. And when we seek the Holy Spirit with this prepared heart, the Father sends us the promised Holy Spirit.

   

  3.

  The early Jerusalem church members prayed earnestly to receive the Holy Spirit as promised by the Father, and they all received the power of the Holy Spirit. As a result, they were always able to overcome, with the help of the Holy Spirit, even during numerous hardships. And they lived as witnesses of Jesus Christ until the end.

   

  We are studying the Book of Acts, and we are learning that the early Jerusalem church suffered a lot of tribulation and persecution. But the church in Jerusalem enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened because they were living in the fear of the Lord, and they were encouraged by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, they increased in numbers. That was because they received the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:31). Also, even though they were scattered in all directions due to persecution, they were able to spread the word that Jesus was the Christ wherever they went, and they lived a life that brought countless people back to the Lord because they were filled with the Holy Spirit.

   

  We are fragile beings like clay pots. Therefore, if we do not receive the power of the Holy Spirit, we cannot keep our faith on our own until the last day because our enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8-9). In these difficult times that hinder our faith, the church established by the Lord cannot stand strong without the power of the Holy Spirit. We are like earthen vessels, but we have the precious Holy Spirit in us and, therefore, we are not crushed even when we are pressed on every side, we are not discouraged when we are oppressed, we are not abandoned when we are persecuted, and we are not destroyed even when we are thrown down (2 Corinthians 4:7-10). That is why Jesus commanded us to first seek to receive the Holy Spirit (before leaving Jerusalem) and to pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit. So, when Peter and John heard that people in Samaria had come to believe in Jesus, they visited them and prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit. Only by being empowered by the Holy Spirit can we receive the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit and keep our faith until the day of Christ. Only by receiving the power of the Holy Spirit can we live as witnesses of Jesus in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. If we receive the power of the Holy Spirit, we can save the souls of 860,000 people in our community. It is a good thing to pray to God for our wishes, our needs, and for His help. However, even if we pray for this, we must pray first to receive the Holy Spirit. Pray for the Holy Spirit to fill us. When we pray to receive the Holy Spirit, God will give us a heart to obey the Holy Spirit and a heart to live as witnesses of Jesus Christ. And when we pray to receive the Holy Spirit with this heart, the Father will send us the Holy Spirit that He promised. Amen.

   

  • 
  • 

• 성령을 구하는 기도 (Prayer to Re

  설교날짜: 9/17/2023

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 사도행전 1:4-26

  Sunday Worship Service Sermon (9-17-2023)

  Pray to Receive the Holy Spirit

  (Acts 1:4-26)

  1.

  Praying to receive the Holy Spirit or to be filled with the Holy Spirit is not something to pray every now and then. This is a prayer that must be asked of God first and foremost, and a prayer that must be asked of God every day.

   

  2.

   

  Today's text is the last command on earth given by the resurrected Jesus to about 500 people, including 11 disciples, gathered on the Mount of Olives before his ascension to heaven.  Let me read verses 4-5. “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 was baptized with water, but in a few days, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’”  So, the first thing they were to do was to pray to receive the Holy Spirit that the Father promised.

   

  Here, 'do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for what the Father has promised, which you have heard from me' means that you must first of all pray to receive the Holy Spirit that the Father has promised. In other words, Jesus tells us that there is something we must do first after being saved. That is, ‘we pray to receive the Holy Spirit, and we pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ Why should we do that? Because only then can we live as witnesses of Jesus in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Who ordered us to do this? Yes, Jesus commanded us to do so. This is not what Peter said. This is the command Jesus gave to his 11 disciples and the 500 people gathered there as he ascended to heaven. Are you and I obeying this command of Jesus? We pray for our own wishes and desires. We pray earnestly every day for our needs and for God’s help. However, we can see that Jesus' earnest command, “Pray 'first' to receive the Holy Spirit promised by the Father”, is far from our prayers. Of course, it is perfectly fine for us to ask God for our wishes and needs, and for His help. However, whenever we pray, the first thing we should ask God for is to receive the Holy Spirit and to be filled with the Holy Spirit. In a life of faith, following the commands Jesus gave us should always come first (rather than ours).

  Jesus commanded his disciples and about 500 people: ‘Above all else, pray first to receive the Holy Spirit that the Father has promised.’ Then, someone among them asked Jesus: “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Verse 6). (=Lord, our concern now is for Israel to be restored. When does it happen?)

   

  What were they really asking? They were asking Jesus about when what they hoped for would come true. In short, they have no interest in what Jesus has said to them so far. It means that they are only interested in having their own wishes come true.

   

  Church members are still like this today. We are not particularly interested in what Jesus tells us to ‘ask for first.’ We are not really interested in what Jesus tells us to do. We always put ourselves (our will, our wishes, our plans) before the words of Jesus. However, those who live by this faith, ‘You are the Christ, the living God,’ always put Jesus first. At that time, Jesus said to them: "it is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 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" (verses 7-8). After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (Verses 9-11).

   

  If Jesus' disciples at that time had not followed Jesus' command and prayed for the Holy Spirit and had not received the power of the Holy Spirit, they would not have lived as witnesses of Jesus in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. The gospel would never have been spread as widely in this land as it is now.

  However, out of the 500 people who received this command from Jesus, 120 went up to the upper room where they were staying. And with one heart they prayed earnestly for the Father to send the promised Holy Spirit (Verse 14). By the way, if you look at today's text, while they were praying earnestly to receive the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit revealed something through Peter to the people gathered there. This was to appoint a disciple to replace Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus and committed suicide. This was something they had never thought of before they prayed to receive the Holy Spirit. However, the Holy Spirit helped them understand God's will while they were praying to receive the Holy Spirit. In addition, the Holy Spirit, through Peter, revealed to us who to raise as disciples and how (in what way) to select disciples.

   

  First of all, the Holy Spirit taught them that it was necessary to choose one of the men who had been with the disciples the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among them, beginning from the first day Jesus began his public ministry to the day he ascended to heaven. These are the ones qualified to be Jesus' disciples (Verse 21-22). And the Holy Spirit taught them, 'The person must be the one to testify of the resurrection of Jesus along with the 11 disciples'(Verse 22).

   

  I wonder:  Why did the Holy Spirit make them realize this while they were earnestly praying to receive the Holy Spirit? Through this, 120 people realized how to live as disciples of Jesus. They realized what it means to ‘live as a church established by the Lord.’ Before sending the Holy Spirit to them, God prepared their hearts to fully obey the work of the Holy Spirit in them as disciples of Jesus through a time of earnest prayer asking to receive the Holy Spirit. And when they received the power of the Holy Spirit and decided to live as witnesses of Jesus in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth, and prayed to receive the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit came to them. Before God pours out the Holy Spirit on us, He sees if we want to live like this. Before God pours out the Holy Spirit on us, He prepares us to live like this. And when we seek the Holy Spirit with this prepared heart, the Father sends us the promised Holy Spirit.

   

  3.

  The early Jerusalem church members prayed earnestly to receive the Holy Spirit as promised by the Father, and they all received the power of the Holy Spirit. As a result, they were always able to overcome, with the help of the Holy Spirit, even during numerous hardships. And they lived as witnesses of Jesus Christ until the end.

   

  We are studying the Book of Acts, and we are learning that the early Jerusalem church suffered a lot of tribulation and persecution. But the church in Jerusalem enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened because they were living in the fear of the Lord, and they were encouraged by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, they increased in numbers. That was because they received the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:31). Also, even though they were scattered in all directions due to persecution, they were able to spread the word that Jesus was the Christ wherever they went, and they lived a life that brought countless people back to the Lord because they were filled with the Holy Spirit.

   

  We are fragile beings like clay pots. Therefore, if we do not receive the power of the Holy Spirit, we cannot keep our faith on our own until the last day because our enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8-9). In these difficult times that hinder our faith, the church established by the Lord cannot stand strong without the power of the Holy Spirit. We are like earthen vessels, but we have the precious Holy Spirit in us and, therefore, we are not crushed even when we are pressed on every side, we are not discouraged when we are oppressed, we are not abandoned when we are persecuted, and we are not destroyed even when we are thrown down (2 Corinthians 4:7-10). That is why Jesus commanded us to first seek to receive the Holy Spirit (before leaving Jerusalem) and to pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit. So, when Peter and John heard that people in Samaria had come to believe in Jesus, they visited them and prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit. Only by being empowered by the Holy Spirit can we receive the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit and keep our faith until the day of Christ. Only by receiving the power of the Holy Spirit can we live as witnesses of Jesus in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. If we receive the power of the Holy Spirit, we can save the souls of 860,000 people in our community. It is a good thing to pray to God for our wishes, our needs, and for His help. However, even if we pray for this, we must pray first to receive the Holy Spirit. Pray for the Holy Spirit to fill us. When we pray to receive the Holy Spirit, God will give us a heart to obey the Holy Spirit and a heart to live as witnesses of Jesus Christ. And when we pray to receive the Holy Spirit with this heart, the Father will send us the Holy Spirit that He promised. Amen.

   

  • 
  • 

성령을 구하는 기도 (Prayer to Receive the Holy Spirit)

설교날짜: 9/17/2023

설교자: 김덕신 목사

설교본문: 사도행전 1:4-26

• 내가 누구이기에 하나님을 능히 막겠느냐? (

  설교날짜: 9/10/2023

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 사도행전 11:1-18

  Sunday Worship Service’s Sermon (9-10-2023)

  Who Was I to Think that I Could Stand in God’s Way?

  (Acts 11:1-18)

  1.     

  The Bible shows us people who, even though they insisted on their own thoughts and opinions, changed when they listened to the words of Jesus, put down their thoughts, stubbornness, and ways of thinking and followed and obeyed the words of Jesus. A typical example of this is Ananias. After Saul repented, Jesus called Ananias in Damascus in a vision. Then He told him, “Ananias, go to the house of Judas and ask for a man named Saul” (Acts 9:11). Saul is the one who hurt Ananias greatly and gave him great suffering. He was the one who persecuted the church so that all the church members in Jerusalem would be scattered in all directions. He was the one who took part in the stoning of Stephen, a fellow believer. The death of Stephen brought great sorrow to the church in Jerusalem. Saul was the one who inflicted these wounds and pain on the Jerusalem church members, including Ananias. But Jesus came to Ananias in a vision and told him to go to Saul. Then Ananias answered, "Lord, 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" (Acts 9:13). – In a word, it means that I do not want to go to Saul. It means that I do not want to go because I am afraid of Saul. But the Lord told Ananias one more time to go. “Go! this man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel” (Acts 9:15). At that time, Ananias put down his thoughts and stubbornness, went to Saul and called him “Brother Saul,” and he prayed for him wholeheartedly. This is the life of faith.

  2.     

  The believers throughout Juda and the apostles in today's text are among those people.

  The apostles and brothers in Judea heard that Peter, who was in Joppa, went to the house of Cornelius, a Gentile in Caesarea, and fellowshipped with them, shared food with them, and preached the word of God to them. Then the believers and the apostles accused Peter of having done this. At that time, Jews were well aware that it was against their law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. Nevertheless, because Peter entered the house of Cornelius, a Gentile in Caesarea, fellowshipped with them, ate food with them, and preached the word of God to them, the believers throughout Judea and the apostles, who regarded it as illegal, criticized Peter. If this conflict had not been dealt with wisely, the church community may have faced a great crisis that could have led to great division and conflict due to this matter.

   

  Then Peter explained in detail to the apostles and the believers throughout Judea, who criticized him, what he had done, how he had entered the house of the Gentile Cornelius.

   

  “Brothers, one day in Joppa, while I was praying, God showed me a vision. But in fact, I could not fully understand the vision. After I was praying and when I was thinking about this vision, the Holy Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with the people from Cornelius' house and to go to his house.' So, I obeyed the Spirit and went to his house (Acts 11:12). And when I went into Cornelius' house, I said to Cornelius and the Gentiles there: You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. So, when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection” (Acts 10 :28-29).

   

  Peter well knew that it was against the law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. However, when God revealed His way to Peter, which was different from the standards of life and faith he had lived so far, he put down his thoughts, the standards of his life, and the standards of faith that he had considered right. Then, following God’s instructions, he entered Cornelius' house. This is the life of faith. This is the life of those who confess that the Lord is the Christ and the living God. This is the result of right prayer. This is truly the result of worship. There are people who pray to God, but instead of obeying God's will, they insist on fulfilling their own thoughts, assertions, and wills. Even after worshiping God and listening to His Word, there are people who still live as they lived before. But Peter was different. When he prayed, he laid down all his thoughts and ways of life that were different from God's and he obeyed the word God gave him. Ananias did the same. He had fearful and troubling thoughts about Saul, but when Jesus came to him in a vision and told him to go to Saul, he put down all his fearful and troubling thoughts and went to Saul and called him “Brother Saul.” This is the life of faith.

   

  Peter went on to explain how he visited in the house of the Gentile Cornelius: “In this way, I obeyed God’s command to go to Cornelius’ house. Then Cornelius told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, 'send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.' (Verses 13-14). That is why this encounter took place. This meeting happened in this way. This encounter was neither planned by me nor by Cornelius. This meeting is an encounter made by God. It is an encounter led by the Holy Spirit.”

   

  Peter went on to explain to them what God had done through this encounter that day: “On that day, I met the Cornelius family and began to tell them the words the Lord had given them: Jesus is our Savior, and anyone who believes in Jesus as the Savior will be forgiven of their sins and saved. As I began to speak (Verse 15), God gave them the same Holy Spirit that He gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Who was I to think that I could stand in God's way? (Verse 17)”

   

  At that time, the believers throughout Judea and apostles, who had been criticizing Peter's actions and conduct, had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life” (Verse 18).  As a result, the Jewish believers and apostles came to know that God wants to save the Gentiles. And they all put down their own thoughts and will and became people who followed God's way and obeyed.

  3.     

  Even after hearing the word of the Lord, to continue living in one's own way is to reject God. It is to dare to block what God is doing. We shouldn't live like this anymore. 'The Lord is the Christ and the living God,' - Those who live by this faith, like Peter, like Ananias and Cornelius always obey Jesus Christ who we confess as our Christ and the living God.  Those who believe and confess that the Lord is the Christ and the living God never reject God and what God is doing.

   

  Even if it wasn’t the standard of our life and faith, if we have learned God’s ways by reading and learning the Lord’s word, we must correct our lives so that we obey God’s word like these people did. That is true worship, that is the right prayer, and that is the right life of faith.

   

  Like Peter, when confronted with the word of God given to us, 'Who was I to think that I could stand in God's way?' I hope that you and I will live by obeying the word of God with this heart.

   

  (Closing prayer) Dear God, we don't want your will and work to be limited or hindered because of us. On the contrary, we want to be used as a faithful instrument to make God's will come true by always obeying God's Word. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen

   
  • 
  • 

• 내가 누구이기에 하나님을 능히 막겠느냐? (

  설교날짜: 9/10/2023

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 사도행전 11:1-18

  Sunday Worship Service’s Sermon (9-10-2023)

  Who Was I to Think that I Could Stand in God’s Way?

  (Acts 11:1-18)

  1.     

  The Bible shows us people who, even though they insisted on their own thoughts and opinions, changed when they listened to the words of Jesus, put down their thoughts, stubbornness, and ways of thinking and followed and obeyed the words of Jesus. A typical example of this is Ananias. After Saul repented, Jesus called Ananias in Damascus in a vision. Then He told him, “Ananias, go to the house of Judas and ask for a man named Saul” (Acts 9:11). Saul is the one who hurt Ananias greatly and gave him great suffering. He was the one who persecuted the church so that all the church members in Jerusalem would be scattered in all directions. He was the one who took part in the stoning of Stephen, a fellow believer. The death of Stephen brought great sorrow to the church in Jerusalem. Saul was the one who inflicted these wounds and pain on the Jerusalem church members, including Ananias. But Jesus came to Ananias in a vision and told him to go to Saul. Then Ananias answered, "Lord, 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" (Acts 9:13). – In a word, it means that I do not want to go to Saul. It means that I do not want to go because I am afraid of Saul. But the Lord told Ananias one more time to go. “Go! this man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel” (Acts 9:15). At that time, Ananias put down his thoughts and stubbornness, went to Saul and called him “Brother Saul,” and he prayed for him wholeheartedly. This is the life of faith.

  2.     

  The believers throughout Juda and the apostles in today's text are among those people.

  The apostles and brothers in Judea heard that Peter, who was in Joppa, went to the house of Cornelius, a Gentile in Caesarea, and fellowshipped with them, shared food with them, and preached the word of God to them. Then the believers and the apostles accused Peter of having done this. At that time, Jews were well aware that it was against their law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. Nevertheless, because Peter entered the house of Cornelius, a Gentile in Caesarea, fellowshipped with them, ate food with them, and preached the word of God to them, the believers throughout Judea and the apostles, who regarded it as illegal, criticized Peter. If this conflict had not been dealt with wisely, the church community may have faced a great crisis that could have led to great division and conflict due to this matter.

   

  Then Peter explained in detail to the apostles and the believers throughout Judea, who criticized him, what he had done, how he had entered the house of the Gentile Cornelius.

   

  “Brothers, one day in Joppa, while I was praying, God showed me a vision. But in fact, I could not fully understand the vision. After I was praying and when I was thinking about this vision, the Holy Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with the people from Cornelius' house and to go to his house.' So, I obeyed the Spirit and went to his house (Acts 11:12). And when I went into Cornelius' house, I said to Cornelius and the Gentiles there: You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. So, when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection” (Acts 10 :28-29).

   

  Peter well knew that it was against the law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. However, when God revealed His way to Peter, which was different from the standards of life and faith he had lived so far, he put down his thoughts, the standards of his life, and the standards of faith that he had considered right. Then, following God’s instructions, he entered Cornelius' house. This is the life of faith. This is the life of those who confess that the Lord is the Christ and the living God. This is the result of right prayer. This is truly the result of worship. There are people who pray to God, but instead of obeying God's will, they insist on fulfilling their own thoughts, assertions, and wills. Even after worshiping God and listening to His Word, there are people who still live as they lived before. But Peter was different. When he prayed, he laid down all his thoughts and ways of life that were different from God's and he obeyed the word God gave him. Ananias did the same. He had fearful and troubling thoughts about Saul, but when Jesus came to him in a vision and told him to go to Saul, he put down all his fearful and troubling thoughts and went to Saul and called him “Brother Saul.” This is the life of faith.

   

  Peter went on to explain how he visited in the house of the Gentile Cornelius: “In this way, I obeyed God’s command to go to Cornelius’ house. Then Cornelius told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, 'send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.' (Verses 13-14). That is why this encounter took place. This meeting happened in this way. This encounter was neither planned by me nor by Cornelius. This meeting is an encounter made by God. It is an encounter led by the Holy Spirit.”

   

  Peter went on to explain to them what God had done through this encounter that day: “On that day, I met the Cornelius family and began to tell them the words the Lord had given them: Jesus is our Savior, and anyone who believes in Jesus as the Savior will be forgiven of their sins and saved. As I began to speak (Verse 15), God gave them the same Holy Spirit that He gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Who was I to think that I could stand in God's way? (Verse 17)”

   

  At that time, the believers throughout Judea and apostles, who had been criticizing Peter's actions and conduct, had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life” (Verse 18).  As a result, the Jewish believers and apostles came to know that God wants to save the Gentiles. And they all put down their own thoughts and will and became people who followed God's way and obeyed.

  3.     

  Even after hearing the word of the Lord, to continue living in one's own way is to reject God. It is to dare to block what God is doing. We shouldn't live like this anymore. 'The Lord is the Christ and the living God,' - Those who live by this faith, like Peter, like Ananias and Cornelius always obey Jesus Christ who we confess as our Christ and the living God.  Those who believe and confess that the Lord is the Christ and the living God never reject God and what God is doing.

   

  Even if it wasn’t the standard of our life and faith, if we have learned God’s ways by reading and learning the Lord’s word, we must correct our lives so that we obey God’s word like these people did. That is true worship, that is the right prayer, and that is the right life of faith.

   

  Like Peter, when confronted with the word of God given to us, 'Who was I to think that I could stand in God's way?' I hope that you and I will live by obeying the word of God with this heart.

   

  (Closing prayer) Dear God, we don't want your will and work to be limited or hindered because of us. On the contrary, we want to be used as a faithful instrument to make God's will come true by always obeying God's Word. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen

   
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내가 누구이기에 하나님을 능히 막겠느냐? (Who was I to Think That Could Stand in God's Way?)

설교날짜: 9/10/2023

설교자: 김덕신 목사

설교본문: 사도행전 11:1-18