August 4, 2019 The Church of Jesus (Matthew 16:13-20)

Sermon Outline

God
is living.
His Son
is the Life of the Resurrection (John 11:25-26).
Our faith is to receive salvation and eternal life (John 3:16).
Therefore,
if we do not have the faith which results in salvation, we will perish (John 3:17-18).
All the labor we do in our lives will be futile (1Cor 15:17-18).
Even if we are godly, or constantly pray, or dedicate ourselves
– if we do not have faith, we will perish (Heb 11:6).
Our faith is not to believe in the word of prophets.
Our faith does not put Jesus on the same level as prophets (Matt 17:4-5).
Our faith
is believing that Jesus Christ
is the Son of the living God (Matt 16:16-17).
Therefore,
the words of God are even greater and higher
than the word of prophets.
The Gospel is heard through Christ (Matt 4:17).
The truth
is heard and believed through the Holy Spirit (John 16:13-14).
◌ Our faith
is to believe in the grace of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus.
and to believe in the truth spoken by the Holy Spirit.
◌ To gain eternal life
we must hear and believe in the Gospel and the truth
It is through this faith that we gain the keys of God’s Kingdom.
◌ We do not believe in other people’s words
but we believe in the words of Jesus.
We believe in the truth taught by the Holy Spirit.
※ Jesus Christ is the Word.
He is God.
Let’s hear and understand the truth which testifies to God!

Semuon’s Letter

We believe in the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom He has sent. God is one. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one.

When I belonged to the world, I did not know God. I did not know His existence. But one day, I heard the bell of a church ringing and I made my steps in that direction. A person like that has now become a pastor. I have lived my whole life as an evangelist and pastor. All of a sudden – like the sun that is about to set – I have become an old man. But my soul is, as always, full of inspiration. My soul has the vigor of a young man. Like clothing which is more worn out every time it is put on, so my flesh is thoroughly worn out. Yet I have clearly experienced my soul being renewed every day. This is because my soul is flowing with the Blood of God and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. They are like ‘streams of living water’.

I do not come to know God because I learned about Him from someone else. Rather, I personally experienced Him. When I say ‘experience’, I am not talking about the sensory experience of the flesh, nor am I talking about man’s desires. I am talking about experiencing the joy of God in my soul. I know the joy of the flesh and the joy of the soul are different, so I am not influenced by immediate surroundings. Instead, I am thankful to God. God is spirit, and He cannot be seen with man’s eyes. God has never been seen. Our faith is not to imagine God as an old man with a long white beard hanging down. We know God because we have keenly seen His works.

Jesus was a Nazarene. He had a mother called Mary. He was the descendant of King David, and also Abraham. He was a real figure in human history. When it was revealed He was the Son of God, He started to perform miraculous signs. He healed a man who was born blind. A blind man can never see the light of the sun. No one in the world could ever show him light. Yet there was One who showed him a Light shining brightly – Jesus.

The One who can do things man cannot do is God. People crucified and killed Him on the cross, but He rose from the dead after three days. The ones who had seen Him were Jesus’ eleven disciples. They laid down their lives to preach the message, “Jesus rose from the dead!” For what reason would anyone lay down their lives for someone who is already dead? His disciples laid down their lives to testify to Jesus’ life because He truly rose from the dead!

The One who can raise people from the dead is God. Those who witnessed Jesus ascending to heaven testified to this truth and they were killed for it. They were able to testify because the Holy Spirit – whom Jesus had sent – had come upon them. I am also able to lay down my life and preach through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit because I have experienced the Holy Spirit coming upon me. Jesus is the God who was revealed to the world, He is the Image of God’s Person. What we believe in is reality.

Semuon