We believe in Jesus for many different motives. What brought you all the way here to this church? Each person comes to church with a different motivation. Depending on what that motive is, you may continue your life of faith well, or you might decide, “This isn’t the place for me,” and end up leaving. Nobody can control this situation.

Those who find what they were looking for from the start will find satisfaction in the church. However, those who do not may feel disappointed, thinking, “Ah, what I was looking for isn’t here in this church.”

That is why, although many people visit every church, only a few of them stay and continue their life of faith consistently. If we were to count everyone who has ever visited our church, the number would reach hundreds of thousands. However, those who remain today are only a small fraction of that number. Among them, there is someone I know. Her child suffered from cerebral palsy and had physical difficulties. She came to our church when her child was in middle school, but she had already tried many different places before coming here. She had visited Buddhist temples and even other churches. Then, she eventually came to our church. What was the reason? It was to get her child healed.

Since our Sungrak Church is famous for casting out demons and healing the sick, she came to this church to receive healing. Of course, at first, we view coming to church with such a motive as a good thing. However, once you come to church and begin to know more, you realize that there is a more important matter than just being healed. Even if you are healed, you might get sick again as time passes; and even if that doesn’t happen, everyone eventually dies in the end. After all, the physical body is finite. The reason God sent Jesus and allowed us to have faith is not for the sake of the physical body that will eventually perish.

However, the lady I just mentioned was completely consumed with concern for her child. So, she left the child in the middle school department and did not lead a life of faith herself. It would have been wonderful if she had lived a faithful life and met God along with her child; but unfortunately, while the child came to church and grew to know God, the mother did not. Her heart was simply saying, “I will leave my child with you, so just heal him!”

Later on, this child gradually came to know God and was baptized. He even received the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues. The child was so joyful that he went home in a state of great excitement. He cried out, “Mom! God is alive! God has saved me! And I can speak in tongues now!” As he started praying fervently in words she couldn’t understand, his mother thought, “My child has become so weak that he’s finally lost his mind.”

I can understand that child. When I was a college student, I met God for the first time, received the Holy Spirit, and went home. With a heart full of urgency and longing, I tried to share the Gospel with my parents. At that time, my mother cried. She wasn’t crying because she was moved; she was crying because she thought, “My son has lost his mind.” I didn’t just preach halfway; I did it desperately. Every single gesture, facial expression, and tone of my voice became a huge burden to my mother. Seeing a side of her son she had never seen before, she even thought, “He’s gone crazy.”

So, imagine how joyful that child must have been when he met God. That’s why he went straight to his mother and told her, “God is alive!” and “I can speak in tongues now!” Then, at home, he laid his hands on his own head and cast out a demon. He cast out demons by himself, crying, “Demon, come out! Demon, come out!” While this is a common sight in our church, his mother found it incredibly strange. Consequently, she stopped the child from going to church. Even though he wanted to come, he couldn’t come on his own because of his physical disability. Even when people from our church visited or called, she refused them, saying, “Don’t call us.” She reacted the same way even when I called her myself.

In that way, the child was no longer able to come to church. A short while later, I heard the news: the child had jumped from an apartment building. He is no longer in this world today. It is such a heartbreaking tragedy. This happened over ten years ago. Although the mother had come to church, she didn’t come to meet God; her heart was set only on, “Heal my child!” Since the child had met God, I thought things would surely go well for him, which makes it all the more heartbreaking.

Another similar incident happened not too long ago. A woman was having an argument, insisting on seeing the senior overseer. It was right after the service, and the senior overseer was taking a short rest, but she kept arguing with the ushers to let her see him. Just as I appeared, the ushers introduced her to me, saying, “He is also a pastor.” When I looked into the matter, I found out she had come to drive out demons. She came to the church specifically to have demons cast out. So, I took her to the counseling room.

When I asked, “What is the matter?” she told me she had been hearing the voices of demons for quite a while—for several years, in fact. She said she couldn’t endure it for even a moment. Because she heard the voices constantly, she couldn’t sleep and often stayed awake for days. I asked if she could hear them even now, and she said one was right next to her at that very moment. She said the demon was repeatedly whispering something in her ear. As I tried to continue the conversation, she kept saying, “Ah, I don’t need any of this, just heal me quickly!” She just wanted the demons cast out immediately. So I told her, “Simply casting out the demons won’t solve the problem. You need to know about God. God’s power comes from knowing Him and obeying His commands.” To this, she said to me, “You’re new at this, aren’t you?” I replied, “You have a very interesting way of speaking.” Later, she claimed she only said that because the demon next to her told her to. She said the demon was telling her to say those things right then. Whether it was an excuse or not, that is what she said.

So I told her, “I have cast out many demons, so do not worry. I will cast them out for you.” After saying that, I counseled her for quite a while, but she was just like the others. She had visited many strange places I had hardly even heard of. She had been to places like “Nam-myoho-renge-kyo” and had visited various other churches as well. But she said those churches told her the same things I did. She said, “Everyone tells me that I need to know God or that I must keep coming to this church, but I don’t need any of that. Just heal my sickness. Just lay your hands on me, drive the demon out, and make me completely well.”

So I said, “Of course, I can lay my hands on you and curse the demon to make it leave, but there is a problem. Since you do not have the Word of God in you, the demon will certainly come back after it is driven out.” The Bible already describes what happens when a demon returns. When a demon returns, it does not come back alone. Why? Because it was driven out so easily, it brings back others stronger than itself to settle in, ensuring that it won’t happen again. Then, it says the final condition of that person becomes worse than the first. That is why I cannot just drive it out immediately.

There is a story like this in the Old Testament. God commanded the people of Israel, “When you enter and live in the land of Canaan, drive out the people living there! But do not drive them all out at once; drive them out little by little.” Why did He say that? It was because if everyone were driven out at once, no one would live there, and only wild animals would remain, causing the land to become desolate. He told them to do it step-by-step, stage-by-stage, because those wild animals might harm them. Likewise, when we talk about casting out demons, if you only drive them out without receiving the Word of God, you are merely driving them out one-sidedly through someone else’s power; you have no power of your own.

Therefore, no matter how much you long to be healed and have demons cast out immediately, you must first know God. What demons truly fear is the Word of God. Demons fear the name of Jesus Christ. When I explained that she must know God first, she eventually acknowledged it and said, “I will come back next week,” before she left. I gave her a blessing prayer. Do you think she actually showed up the following week? There was no word from her. I tried calling, but she didn’t answer. It is truly regrettable.

The same is true for doctors, isn’t it? There are times when patients want to be cured instantly. They say, “Doctor, please give me some strong medicine!” Of course, a doctor could prescribe strong medication to make them feel better right away. But would that make them a good doctor? No, it wouldn’t. While antibiotics can make us feel better quickly, our body can develop a resistance to them, meaning we’ll need even stronger doses next time. If we do this a few times, our immune system eventually breaks down, making us vulnerable to serious illnesses that might become untreatable. It is the same in faith. When we treat an illness, it’s not about just killing off the germs all at once. Instead, we must improve our overall health and fundamental strength, considering various factors to build up our own ability to overcome the disease as we drive out the bacteria.

In this way, people have their own purposes when they come to church. Some come because of their children’s employment, while others come with their children’s college entrance exams in mind. However, none of these can be the true reason for faith. If such people do not find what they were looking for here, and if something seemingly more powerful appears elsewhere, they might move on to that place. If they hear, “A certain Buddhist monk has great power! He even heals diseases!” they might go there. Or if they hear, “If you pray at that temple, you’ll get into college,” they might go there too. God does not stop those who do such things. That is why, when we come to church, we must listen carefully and find what is truly beneficial for our spirits.

In today’s passage, there is a man named Philip. Jesus called him, and as soon as Philip met Jesus, he recognized Him. He thought, “Ah, this is truly the One I have been looking for!” Then he went to find his friend, Nathanael. Philip said to him, “I have found the One Moses and the prophets wrote about.” He was saying that he had finally met the One they had all been waiting for.

At that time, Jesus went about with large crowds, and many sick people were healed as they followed Him. Among those following Him, some brought their friends with even greater expectations after being healed themselves; people flocked to Him, thinking, “Let me be healed too.” However, Philip was not following Jesus for those reasons. Philip said to Nathanael, “I have found the One Moses and the prophets prophesied about.” In other words, Philip himself was not looking for just a man of power or someone who could simply help him. He was looking for the very Person prophesied through God’s prophets—the One God promised would come. In short, he was looking for the Savior of Israel.

When Philip told him this, how did Nathanael react? He said, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” He simply did not believe Philip’s words. In a way, you might look at him and think, “This man Nathanael is so negative. He has no faith. He doesn’t trust what others say.” We could view him in such a negative light, but that wasn’t the case. Later on, Jesus spoke very highly of him.

hen, what does this mean: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” In the Old Testament, there are writings recorded by Moses and the prophets. These make up the first part of the Bible. However, there is no mention of a town called Nazareth anywhere in those texts. Nowhere in the Old Testament does it directly state, “The Messiah, the Christ, will come and live in a town named Nazareth.” Rather, where was the Christ supposed to be born? He had to be born in Bethlehem. That is how it is recorded in the Scriptures.

Then, do you know where Jesus was born? He was born in Bethlehem. However, people did not know that. Why? Because He was born in Bethlehem while His parents were just passing through for the census. They left shortly after, and He never actually lived in Bethlehem. That is why, other than His parents, people did not know that Jesus was born there. The Scripture was fulfilled; the word that “He will be born in Bethlehem” came true. But the place where He actually grew up was Nazareth. And since there is no record in the Scriptures about Him living in Nazareth, Nathanael refused to go, even though Jesus was famous for healing and was very popular. He thought, “That man is not the Christ. He is not the one I have been waiting for. There is no need for me to even go and see Him.”

Later, when Jesus saw Nathanael, He said to everyone, “Behold, an Israelite indeed!” He actually praised him. In a way, one might have said, “That man is so stubborn—he didn’t even come when his friend invited him.” But instead, Jesus said, “He is a true Israelite.”

Nathanael was deeply moved. He thought, “How does He know my heart? Others might not think so, but I have always considered myself a true believer. How could He possibly know that about me?” So he asked Jesus, “Lord, how do You know me?” Jesus replied, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

What did He mean by, “I saw you when you were under the fig tree”? I looked into various materials to understand the customs of the people at that time. While there were slightly different opinions, those who understand the context of that era explain this way: Since many people lived together in one house back then, there was very little private space. There was no place to read a book quietly alone. Also, the inside of the house was very stuffy and dark, as there were often no windows. Because of this, people used to go under a tree when they wanted to read the Law or pray, and fig trees were commonly used for this purpose. This is because fig leaves are very broad; they are large and round, much like pumpkin leaves. So, they provide excellent shade. People would sit under them to pray and read.

Therefore, when Jesus said, “I saw you when you were under the fig tree,” He meant that He knew Nathanael had a heart that searched the Scriptures and waited for the One recorded in them. Even when crowds of people were rushing about in excitement, Nathanael might have felt a bit of curiosity, but he did not give it his attention. Jesus clearly knew that Nathanael was thinking, “I am waiting for the One God has recorded in the Scriptures.” This is why, no matter how much his friend urged him to come, he held onto his faith, saying, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth? There is no record of Nazareth in the Scriptures.” It was this very heart that Jesus was acknowledging when He said, “Behold, an Israelite indeed!”

As Christians, we are not people who chase after mystical or wondrous phenomena like the one Nathanael encountered—or rather, avoided. Of course, there are many mysterious things in the world. However, those wonders themselves are not what capture our interest. For example, they say that tears flow from a stone statue in a certain Buddhist temple. Tears continuously stream from the eyes of a stone shaped like a human. It’s mysterious, isn’t it? I believe such things can happen. But what does that actually mean? Just because it’s mysterious, should we set everything else aside and believe in it? Another example often seen on TV involves statues of Mary. They say that tears flow from the eyes of a statue of Mary in the Catholic Church. And they aren’t just ordinary tears; they say it’s blood. Actual red liquid flows out. Such mysterious things do happen. It is a fact that they are wondrous. But does that mean we should go there? Should we believe in it? These mysterious events are not one or two. They say shamans can dance on the blades of sharp straw cutters, don’t they? What would happen if we stepped on those blades? What would happen if we tried to dance on them? Yet, mysteriously, those people don’t get a single scratch. Should we believe in that too?

There are many gods in this world, and there are many mysterious things performed by those gods. If we chase after such wonders, we will inevitably fall into temptation. Right now, we are not chasing after mysterious events; we are seeking God—the God who created the heavens and the earth, the God who created me, and the God who is giving me life at this very moment. And we know and believe that this very God is the One who sent Jesus Christ two thousand years ago.

We are looking for Him. And how do we find Him? There are things He recorded in the Scriptures through the prophets. Our task is to confirm whether those records were fulfilled exactly in Jesus Christ. This is why people like Nathanael and Philip remained awake and alert—to verify these things. Later, they received Jesus, exclaiming, “It is truly Him!” We are the same. We have seen the kind of life Jesus lived, and we have seen the prophecies the prophets made. By comparing the two, we come to believe: “Ah, He is truly the One prophesied through so many prophets since long ago! He is indeed the One sent by God!”

We call ourselves “Bereans.” Also, we say that Sungrak Church carries out the “Berea Movement.” This is exactly what the Berea Movement is about. We do not believe unconditionally just because something is mysterious; rather, we examine whether these things done in the name of Jesus Christ are recorded in the Scriptures, and if they align, we believe. Even if something brings us great benefit, if it does not align with the Scriptures, we do not accept it.

For example, our church is sometimes criticized because we cast out demons in the name of Jesus. Even some fellow Christians are completely unaware of casting out demons in Jesus’ name. They say, “Is the church some kind of shaman? Why do you cast out demons in church?” However, we must look at the Scriptures. In the Scriptures, Jesus Himself said, “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons…” In other words, it is only natural for those who believe in Jesus to cast out demons. Also, when Jesus gathered His disciples, the Bible records, “He called to Him those He Himself wanted… that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons.” As such, casting out demons cannot be separated from believing in Jesus. That is why we continue to cast out demons today.

It is not simply about the fact that illnesses can be healed by casting out demons; we do it because Jesus promised and commanded it. No matter how much benefit something might bring, if it is not a command from Jesus, we will not do it. On the other hand, even if it feels uncomfortable or people do not understand, if Jesus says, “Do it!”, we do it. Why? It is because the Word of God is always fulfilled. The words spoken by Jesus will certainly come true. Although I have never been to heaven, I believe that I will go there in the future. Why? Because Jesus said so. The Word of God has continuously been fulfilled throughout history.

Those who know this can firmly believe in the Word of God. We may suffer hardships right now, but God’s time is much longer than human time. When people do not see immediate results before their eyes, they say, “It’s not working! He isn’t giving it to me!” But that is not how it is. If God said He was with Jesus, why did He let Him die? For a moment, it seemed as if He had abandoned Him. However, God did not leave Him that way until the end; He raised the dead Jesus back to life. Therefore, Jesus is now resurrected and in heaven. This is who our God is. He is the One who surely keeps His promises. Because we know this, we examine the Scriptures and strive to live according to His Word.

Those who believe in Jesus have no fear. There are so many things to fear as we live in this world, aren’t there? You probably worry a lot, thinking, “How am I going to survive? What will I eat? Who will take responsibility for me?”

God knows this. That is why Jesus said, “Do not worry. You are children of God. Look at the lilies of the field; God clothes and feeds them.” How beautiful are the lilies! “These flowers do not spin yarn or knit, yet look at the beautiful clothes they wear. If God so clothes these flowers that bloom today and wither tomorrow, how much more will He clothe you, His own children?”

He also said, “Look at the birds of the air.” Have you ever seen a sparrow starve to death? You haven’t, have you? “If God feeds even the birds of the air like this, will He not surely feed His precious children who are made in His image? Do not worry.”

So, do not be like those who do not believe in Jesus, constantly agonizing and worrying, “What shall we eat? What shall we wear? What shall we drink? How will I survive? What do I do with no money?” Instead, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Then, He will provide everything we need. This is a truth that every Christian who truly relies on God has experienced. That is why, even when we have nothing, we are always at peace; and even when we seem to be in lack, we are actually living our lives helping others. It is a mysterious thing. Those who believe in Jesus have a mystery.

Since God is the One who keeps His promises in this way, do not be someone who wanders here and there, searching for what you were originally looking for. Now that we have come this far, I hope we will discover: “What does God want? What is His plan? They say God sent Jesus, but just how much do we need Him, and how wonderful is He that God sent Him to us?” I bless you in the name of Jesus, that you may look into these things and surely meet Jesus.

We all have things we want. However, what is important is that God knows exactly what we need. He knows better than we do; He knows me better than I know myself. Just as parents do not simply give a child whatever they want. They constantly provide what the child actually needs. God does the same for us. We sometimes blame God, asking, “Why aren’t You giving me what I asked for?” But He does not give us everything just because we ask. He gives us what is truly necessary. He desires to give us that which is eternal. I bless you in the name of Jesus, that you may rely on this God and enjoy the peace that only He can give—a peace that the world cannot give.

God our Father, we know well that You are a God who keeps His promises. We have realized that once You have spoken a promise, You are the One who fulfills it, even if it means sending Your own Son to His death. Since such a God has promised us so many things and desires to make us as happy as You are, please help us now to lay down our own desires and listen closely to Your Word. Help everyone here to receive everything that You intend to give us. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.