March 2017 – Sungrak Church

2017.03.26_The Words of Eternal Life

March 31, 2017/in 2017 Lord's Day /by Suna IHM

Senior Overseer Ki-Dong Kim

Outline

[John 6:60-71]

God
is eternal.
He sent the Word
which was in His bosom to the world (Jn 1:18).
The Word is Jesus Christ who came in the flesh,
shed His blood and resurrected (Jn 11:25-26).
He is the Son of God, the image of God’s being (2 Co 4:4),
who came from God’s bosom
and was born through the body of a woman.
Therefore
His words are the words of God
who speaks from within Him (Jn 12:47-50).
Whoever hears His words
yet does not accept them as the words of God
but as the words of man
cannot obtain faith (Jn 6:63)
and is unprofitable for one’s spirit.
However
if we come to Him, longing only for the word of eternal life,
we will become a true disciple of Jesus Christ (Jn 6:68).
Let us hear and follow the words of eternal life
delivered through the Holy Spirit.
○ If we accept them as the words of man,
it does not benefit our spirit,
and our souls will wander away from Jesus and be lost,
unable to receive life.
○ We do not come to church to see people.
As the words of eternal life are in the church,
we come to hear those words.
○ Our faith is not of the flesh
but of the spirit and thus it is a spiritual activity.
The words of eternal life are in the church.
※ Let us love our church.
Do not come to church for the sake of people
but come, seeking the words of eternal life.

Summary

Behold The Son of Man At the Right Hand of God

God is eternal. The word He speaks to us is eternal, and His life, His name, and His grace are also eternal. God does not take back His grace once He has given it to us. Once He gives grace to us, then that grace does not change, nor disappear.

John 1:18 says, “No one has ever seen God, but the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” No one has ever seen God, because God is invisible. That is why many people consider God to be abstract. Still others, wanting so much to ascribe a form to God, create an image of Him in their mind when they pray. However, the faith of a Christian is not at all abstract like that.

The Old Testament records that there were some people who had seen God before the time of Jesus. But, strictly speaking, what they saw was angel. Acts 7:35 says, “This Moses whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush.” God who appeared to Moses was, in fact, an angel. Stephen pointed out before the Jews, emphasizing that, in order for them to see God, they had to see the Son of Man at the right hand of God. God is invisible, He who is at the right hand of God revealed Himself to the people as the Son of Man. The people in the Old Testament saw an angel, but when Jesus came into the world, people could see the image of God.

Jesus is the Word become flesh, who was with God in the beginning. He abode in Nazareth for a time, preached in Galilee, died in Jerusalem, was resurrected, and ascending to heaven. He is now sitting at the right hand of God. Although God is invisible, we rely on Jesus Christ whom God sent. Of course we cannot see Him now because He is in heaven. However, we can still see Him in the spirit.

Do you want to see God? Then, look at Jesus Christ whom God sent! Even though you cannot see Him with your eyes, behold Him who is in heaven through eyes of faith. Do not pray to some abstract being when you pray, but rather bow down before Jesus Christ in heaven. He came into the world as a man, stepping into human history, atoned for our sins, was seen by many, ascended into heaven, and sent the Holy Spirit. The Bible was written by those who were inspired by the Holy Spirit and it bears witness to Jesus Christ.

The Words of Eternal Life to Those Who Have Seen the Son of Man

Jesus said to His disciples, “I am the bread that came down from heaven, and anyone who eats of this bread, will have eternal life.” Then on hearing it, many people left Jesus, saying, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” because they did not understand it.” (John 6:51-52) And Jesus asked the Twelve, “Will you also go away?” Then Peter answered, “To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:67-68)

The reason that the people left Jesus is that they only regarded Him as a great person while they followed Him. Even Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples did so. He sold Jesus to the high priest even though he knew Jesus was innocent. He thought Jesus would be proven innocent in the court. Instead, Jesus was sentenced to death, and Judas was cursed.

Jesus said, “I do not receive testimony from man. There is the One who testifies in my favor, who is God, and the Holy Spirit testifies about me” and “When you receive the Holy Spirit, you will be my witnesses.” Before the Holy Spirit came upon the people, no one could know Jesus for sure, or testify about Him. That is because only those who received the Holy Spirit can know who Jesus is and testify about Him.

Jesus said, “The Spirit gives life and the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.” Only those who receive the testimony of the Holy Spirit, those who know Jesus as the Son of God, can understand the words of Jesus and be granted life through the words. Those who saw Jesus as a mere man were astonished when Jesus said to them, “Eat my flesh”, thinking, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat? However, the words of Jesus can be understood only when they are received in spiritual way, thereby giving life to those who receive them. Faith does not lie in flesh but in spirit. That is the reason that we call a life of faith a spiritual life. Even if you have attended the church for a long time, if you receive the sermon as merely a man’s word, there will be no change in your life, your soul will not experience spiritual life. You must receive the word of God through inspiration.

The Church That Has the Words of Eternal Life

When the word is preached by the overseer in the church, you must listen to it by inspiration. Even though the word comes out of the mouth of a man and goes into the ears of listeners, the word is not of worldly knowledge or the wisdom of men, but a spiritual word from God. Only a spiritual word can save our souls. It is very difficult for those who cannot receive spiritual words in church to sustain their faith. It is because we received spiritual words that we repented, were baptized and became men of God. It is also the reason that we can receive the Holy Spirit and His gifts, manifest God’s power, and experience miracles. The very reason we gather and listen to the preaching in the church each Lord’s Day is so that we may receive the words of eternal life.

There are those who stop attending the church because they become disappointed and stumbled because of a deficiency or failing in the church. But, in spite of the shortcomings of the church, the saints must still gather and listen to the words of eternal life. Of course, what you do in church varies, but receiving the words of eternal life is an essential feature of your church life! There are many buildings in the world that are better than churches, but only the church has the words of eternal life. The words might not convince and satisfy men’s logic, but we do need the words for our souls.

For us to hear to the words of eternal life, there must be no hatred in our heart. Where hatred abounds, God’s word cannot enter. The Bible says that anyone who hates is a murderer. Just as God’s word could not enter into Cain’s heart, God’s Word cannot enter into the heart of a person who hates others. Some people say that they cannot listen to the sermon because they hate the pastor. If they cannot listen to the sermon, it means that their soul cannot hear the words of eternal life. This is very dangerous. That is why Jesus warned, “Watch and pray so that you do not fall into temptation.” You should not consider this warning for others. No one is exempt. All of us must watch and pray so that we will not to fall into temptation.

Listening to the words of eternal life is not for someone else, but for each of us. God has called us to the church in order to give us his words of eternal life. Since the church is the place where various people gather, there is always a possibility for conflict to arise. Nevertheless, many various people can come together and become one when the words of eternal life are at work among them. We give our devotions and services to the church because the words of eternal life are there. We must confess with Peter, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

Semuon’s Letter

2017 Audio

2017 Video

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2017.03.19_The Greatest is Love

March 24, 2017/in 2017 Lord's Day /by Suna IHM

Senior Overseer Ki-Dong Kim

Outline

[1Corinthians 13:1-13]

God
is love.
He loved the world
that He sent His Son to the world (Jn 3:16),
and Jesus loved the world just as He loves the Father
so that He shed His blood on the cross and died.
Love is long-suffering and is kind;
love is not jealous,
it does not boast,
it is not proud;
love does not behave rudely,
is not self-seeking,
is not provoked, does not take account of evil;
love does not delight in evil
but rejoices with the truth.
Love bears all things,
trusts all things,
hopes all things,
endures all things.
Thus
these three will always remain: faith, hope, and love.
But the greatest of these is love.
The greatest of these is love.
The greatest of these is love.
○ We are all men of the Holy Spirit.
The fruit of the Holy Spirit is love.
Let us love one another.
○ We are all men of the blood of Jesus.
Thus let us truly love the church, the body of Jesus.
○ We are all men of God.
He who belongs to God, love Him unto death.

Summary

God Is Love

God is love. All that God reveals is love. His word, commandments, righteousness, creations, and power are all expressions of His love. There is no self-interest in God’s love, nor does it seek a reward. God’s love is the fragrance that comes from God, a light that is unilaterally springing forth from God Himself.

The essence of the Law is love. The commandments of the Law are terrifying for sinners, but the root of the Law is love. The same is true of the Gospel. The origin of God’s salvation lies in His love. When people hear the word ‘love,’ they often think of the ‘love’ that worldly people have. But, the love God gave us is different. God gave us all that He has because He loves us. He wants us to be like Him. In other words, the eternal God wants us to have eternal life as well.

Faith

1Corinthians 13:1-3 says, “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.” And verse 13 says, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love; but the greatest of these is love.”

Before we believed in Jesus, we lived according to our own convictions. However, after trusting in Christ, we rely on faith which is stronger than convictions; we possess the faith of God. Without faith, you can never lead a life of faith. Praying, reading the Bible, attending worship services, etc, you can do none of those things without faith. Faith has an amazing power. By faith we can manifest the signs that are promised in the Bible, and by faith we use the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is through faith that we can experience the miraculous signs and wonders that God helps us to perform. We are saved by faith, and by faith we can overcome the world.

Although faith is important, there are limits to faith. In other words, we might be tempted to use faith for our own personal blessing. Everyone wants to be blessed. However, many people come to their pastors asking them to pray that they may be blessed. Someone asked me to bless for his new car, and another asked me to bless her soybean paste! We do not want to be rebuked by Jesus when He returns saying, “Depart from me you workers of iniquity, I never knew you!” Even if we cast out demons and perform miracles, if our faith is focused on receiving material blessing, we will not be able to escape His rebuke.

Hope

Therefore, our faith must also have hope. Without hope, if your business suffers you might abandon the church, regardless of how diligently you have lived your life of faith. Why? Even if you once had faith, because your circumstances are inexplicable and disappointing you fall apart. Some people give their offering in faith, but they expect to receive back a double or triple return. However, when it does not work out as they expected, they grumble and regret giving offerings thinking what’s the benefit of giving offering. Paul said, “But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ, I press on toward the goal to win the prize, the resurrection.” Without the resurrection, we can never enter the kingdom of God, nor can we enjoy the eternal life we have longed for.

When we die, all that we have on earth is lost. We will sleep in paradise until the Lord comes again. The time there is different from that of the earth. There, a thousand years will be like one day. When the Lord comes again, we will meet Him in an imperishable body. Our spirit, born of God’s word, His precious blood, and the Holy Spirit, will turn into a body with flesh and bones, and we will finally meet with the Lord. The flesh we have now will return to the ground no matter how healthy you are now. But our soul will turn into an incorruptible body which will never perish. We will meet the Lord in our new body and will enjoy eternal life in heaven when we reign with Christ for a thousand years.

It is also for hope that God assigns us responsibilities. Of course that does not mean that by being faithful to your duty in the church you will prosper in the world. Rather, you might not be able to spend as much of your time and resources on your life and business. You will receive your reward in heaven, not on earth. There are various offices in the church, none of which are more important than any other. In any office, you must recognize that God has assigned those responsibilities to you and discharge those duties with hope.

God has promised us a prize. 1Peter 5:4 says, “When the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.” Whoever has hope will be faithful to his or her duty. Unfortunately, many people do not cherish their duty but instead neglect it once it has been assigned to them. If a person is not faithful to his duty in the church, the Lord will say to him on the last day, “I never knew you” even if they have a high standing in society. We must faithfully discharge the office which God has given us recognizing that neglecting our duty in the church is abandoning our hope.

Love

There is one thing that is absolutely vital in order to accomplish that thing which we hope for, and that is love. Love does not give up easily or judge carelessly, but perseveres. Love is not violent but kind. Love does not envy but rather delights when others prosper. Love does not boast.

In the past a certain general won a battle and led his country to victory. The king gave him a great reward, and his people praised him. When the people were about to welcome him as a hero, he escaped from the castle suddenly with his troops and departed to another place. The general and his troops arrived at a farm in the countryside. On the farm there was a run-down lumber mill. The general went inside, knelt down, and cried for a while. After some time, when the general came out, the troops asked the general why he had wept. The general said that he had been a servant here and even after he became a general he always remembered the place. Although the general was a man with great authority, he remembered his humble past rather than boast about himself.

Love does not behave rudely. We should pay more attention to this in the church. Each member has a different position and duty, so one member should not hastily judge another, but rather we should respect each others’ faith and experiences. And we should take particular care to respect the order and authority in the church and do nothing to harm it. The deeper you know the Bible, the more you should set the example in this area.

Love is not self-seeking. Nor is it easily angered. Love keeps no record of wrongs but rather focuses on the good. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Love always endures. Love always trusts. Love always hopes. Love always perseveres. My mother was a girl with dreams. But after she became a mother she put her own desires behind her and gave herself over to the needs of the household. Even though she might have wanted to leave sometimes, and even when she was weary from the toils of daily life, she persevered for the sake of her children. This is motherhood and love.

There are many kinds of people in the church, each with different backgrounds, character, and abilities. Therefore, we need mutual respect in church. The Church is the body of Jesus Christ. Everyone in the church is a member of Jesus’ body. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “Let us not forsake meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” If you are a part of the church you should care for and encourage one another with love.

Some people complain that there is no love in the Church. But if someone finds a shortcoming in the church, then they themselves should practice love first, instead of waiting for someone else to do it. If someone lacks love it is their own unhappiness. If others lack love, do not criticize them, but rather make up for it instead. We must not allow the church that was bought by the blood of Jesus to be shaken or to suffer.

For Christians, faith is an essential component. But faith should be accompanied by hope, and hope, by love. The work of love can only be accomplished by the Holy Spirit. No matter how much you may try to practice love, without the enabling of the Holy Spirit, it will be limited. That is why the Lord sent the Holy Spirit to us and commanded us to be born again by the Holy Spirit and work by the Holy Spirit. Love is the flower of the Spirit. Joy and peace, patience and kindness, goodness and faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, indeed, all of the fruit of the Spirit start with the flower of the Holy Spirit which is love.

We must love with all our heart, all our will, all our strength, and all our lives. The first commandment is to love the Lord in this way, and the new commandment is to love those who are members of His body. Ignoring this new commandment is like being under the Law. Let us love our church, the body of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us truly love.

Semuon’s Letter

2017 Audio

2017 Video

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2017.03.12_Jesus Came in the Flesh

March 17, 2017/in 2017 Lord's Day /by Suna IHM

Senior Overseer Ki-Dong Kim

Outline

[1John 4:1-4]

God
is the Creator.
He
governs the life and death of all things.
The reason Jesus, His Son,
came in the flesh was
to experience death (He 2:9).
For His blood has redemptive power,
whoever denies His blood is the antichrist.
He came to call sinners (Mk 2:17)
and the souls redeemed by His blood are called believers.
Therefore, as those who became believers are baptized
and born again through the Holy Spirit, they are made righteous.
This is the word of God
and an everlasting promise.
Thus
those who heed the word of God belong to Him,
whereas whoever does not believe His words
is the spirit of the antichrist.
The great faith of Christians who believes in Jesus
is the confidence that they are the ones who have received grace.
They have confidence by the blood of the Lamb
and the word of their testimony (Rm 10:9-10).
○ My soul must always overcome sin and its temptations.
We must overcome our unbelief, considering ourselves to be sinners.
A believer is one who has been made righteous forever.
○ An unbelieving conscience and mind
doubts the grace one has received
and still regards himself a sinner who belongs to the world.
○ The soul of a true Christian
always hears God’s word
and testifies unto death that he has been made righteous.
※ Let us have faith.
Let us cast off the things of the flesh
and live in God’s grace only.

Summary

The Spirits from God

God is the creator. God created not only the visible material world but also the invisible spirit world. God not only created all things but also holds them all together. Therefore the existence of all things and their operation are themselves evidence that God lives.

God is almighty. Even though God cannot be seen through the eyes of men, He can show himself to men, and even though He cannot die, He can taste death. As for this, there is something we must take care with if we are to understand it correctly. That is, God the Father cannot be seen, nor can He die either. But He has revealed Himself though His Son,and through the son, tasted death. The Son of God came into the world to reveal God the Father and to taste death. (Hebrews 2:9)

Jesus Christ is the Word of God who came to the world in the flesh. Therefore, Jesus Christ himself is the Word. Our souls become clean only by the Word. (John 15:3) Even a man who is outwardly blameless or has a good appearance and personality, without the Word, he or she can never be clean. Those who want to bear the fruits that God desires must keep their souls clean. In order to do this, he or she must accept God’s Word.

The problem is that it is not that easy to discern the words of God among the many voices in the world. 1John 4:1 says, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world”. If a person seems to be living a godly life, including praying earnestly and faithfully attending all church meetings, other people are likely to consider him spiritual. However, with that alone it is difficult to tell whether that person truly belongs to the spirit of Christ or not.

1 John 4:2 says, ”This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist.” It says that anyone who acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh belongs to God, and those who do not, belong to the spirit of antichrist, the spirit that opposes Christ.

1 John 4:1 says, “Test the spirits to see whether they are from God” Just like a paternity test administered through genetic testing, we need to know to whom where our souls belong. Jesus said, “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘Away from me you evildoers, I never knew you!’”(Matthew 7:22-23) Surprisingly, this is Jesus’ warning for those who profess Jesus Christ as their Lord and even perform miracles. If they are able to perform powers in the Lord’s name, their faith would have to be greater than average. But the Lord distinguishes among them those who receive the spirit of the Antichrist.

Jesus also said, “The Spirit gives life, and the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” (John 6:63) Some people receive the sermon as the words of a man. In that kind of attitude, even if they listen to many words and sermons, they can never receive God’s words. The reason why people in the world are not saved is that they consider the words of God the words of a man. God’s word is spirit. That is why God’s word can give life to our souls. Are you really receiving God’s words? Even though you have cast out demons and performed many miracles, are you considering God’s word as the words of a mere man?

Those who belong to God confess that Jesus came in the flesh

It is written, “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist.”(1John 4:2-3) God atoned for the sins of mankind through His Son who came to earth in the flesh. That means He paid the debt for the sin of all of mankind.

To atone for the sins of mankind, Jesus shed His blood and died on the cross even though he was innocent. The saying, ‘Jesus Christ came in the flesh’ means ‘He came to the world to shed His blood’. The Bible says, “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Hebrews 9:22) The Israelites had slaughtered lambs and shed their blood from Mount Sinai to Jerusalem, a period of about 1500 years, in order to be forgiven of their sins. That was a foreshadow of Jesus Christ who would be crucified and whose blood would be shed on the cross for the forgiveness of the sins of mankind.

On the mercy seat where the high priest sprinkles the blood of the lamb, two cherubs facing each other cover the mercy seat with their wings. This means God covers all the sins of man after atonement has been made. We were once sinners who sinned before God, but by the blood of Jesus we have been forgiven. Of course we continue to sin. But Jesus does not have to be crucified again.

Those who have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus and united with Him can still sin, but they can be forgiven by repenting of their sins. There is a phrase in the Lord’s prayer, “Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:10~11). This gives us confidence that we can and will be forgiven when we pray. Concerning this, 1 John 2:1 says, “If anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.” To sum it up, not only have we received, by grace, The atonement of our sins through the blood of Christ, but we also receive daily forgiveness of our sins.

Those who Confess that Jesus Came in the Flesh Never Condemn Others

The foundation of a Christian’s faith is believing that Jesus came in the flesh. In other words, we believe that we have been forgiven because Jesus took away our sins when we were still sinners. Some people when they pray say, “I am sinner.” Perhaps they mean that they are weak. However, strictly speaking, anyone who has been saved by the blood of Jesus is no longer a sinner. We must not see ourselves as sinners under any circumstances. God is not the father of sinners, nor does He listen to sinners. But, if any Christian still considers himself a sinner and is under that condemnation, that means he is being deceived by the spirit of antichrist.

Colossians 2:18 says, “Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you from the prize.” The angels gave the Law. The Law was for the time until Jesus Christ would come to the world, whose duty it was to condemn. Regardless of what your intention is, if you confess, “I am sinner”, then it is the same as bowing before the angel who delivered the Law. The Bible warns that you would lose your prize even if you are saved.

1 John 4:4 says, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” Those who belong to God already have overcome the spirit of antichrist, and therefore are not condemned. But if anyone of you pretends to be humble, confessing that you are sinner, then you are still under the Law, deceived by the spirit of antichrist. We must check ourselves and pay attention to whether our confessions are influenced by the spirit of antichrist.

On the other hand, some people are quick to criticize others. Once a man has been joined to Jesus by grace through faith in Christ, he is no longer a sinner. A brother who lives by grace in Jesus and has received forgiveness for their sin, if he condemns a fellow believer, he is denying that the blood of Jesus has justified him. In denying the blood of Christ he is denying that Jesus came in the flesh. Therefore a Christian’s attempt to condemn a fellow believer is evidence that they are being tempted by the spirit of Antichrist.

One day, the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman before Jesus who had been caught in adultery. Then, they said to Jesus, “Moses commanded us to stone this woman according to the Law, but what do you say?” If Jesus had said to them that they should not kill the woman, he would be the one who broke the Law. On the other hand, if He allowed them to stone her, He would be commanding them to murder her. Jesus told them “Let him who is without sin among you throw the first stone.” Then those who heard it, being convicted by their own conscience ent out one by one. Listening to the comment, people there one by one left. When there was no one left but the woman and Jesus, he said, “Is there no one who condemns you? Neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin.” In Christ Jesus, no one is condemned (John 8:1~11).

God made those who were bought by His blood His church. Let us love the church. Do not reveal one another’s sins but rather let us fulfill the Lord’s will. 1Peter 4:8 says, “Love covers over a multitude of sins.” We need the heart of parents who always care for their children. There is no parents who cut off the disabled parts of their children. It is maternal love that covers her children’s faults. You must not condemn the church if you confess that you love your church. We must acknowledge and love what Jesus did in the flesh. We must make our souls belong to God.

Semuon’s Letter

2017 Audio

2017 Video

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